AC-11 is a registered trademark of Optigenex Inc. that contains phytonutrients that have a number of health benefits. AC-11 formerly known as C-Med-100 is a water soluble all natural rainforest plant extract that has been demonstrated to help repair DNA damage due to sun and other environmental stress. It is also known to slow down the aging process associated with environmental stress in skin. AC-11 is extracted from Uncaria tomentosa (a vine that grows wild in the Amazon rainforest) by an aqueous hot water extraction process and standardized to a minimum of 8 percent Carboxy Alkyl Esters. Carboxy Alkyl Esters are complex molecular chains that are responsible for around 90 percent of AC-11s activity in terms of DNA repair and enhancement of the immune system.
DNA Repair
Scientific and clinical studies have demonstrated that AC-11 has the ability to aid in repair of DNA by way of activating enzymes that are involved with DNA repair processes. This is an all natural process that helps your body’s own repair mechanisms to work better. Furthermore, AC-11 has been demonstrated to boost collagen III production in skin. Collagen III is a complex protein that keeps your skin soft and supple providing structural integrity that helps to maintain that young appearance. During the aging process, Collagen III production decreases and what collagen III you do have is damaged causing skin to lose shape and sag.
Inflammation and NF-kappaB
AC-11 has also been demonstrated to inhibit expression of NF-kappaB transcriptional factor which is responsible for initiation of inflammatory responses by the immune system. A transcriptional factor is a protein that sits in the cytosolic space waiting to be activated by cellular stress. Once activated it travels to the genome and activates genes that code for cytokines, cytokine receptors, immunoreceptors and cell adhesion molecules. These cytokines or chemical messengers and their corresponding receptors are responsible for chemotaxis of certain white blood cells into an area of damaged cells which bring about inflammation and cell death. Keeping NF-kappaB transcriptional factor to a minimum inhibits inflammation and cell death allowing for more cells to survive from damage. Thereby, minimizing oxidative stress to your tissues. AC-11 has also been demonstrated to protect lymphocytes (white blood cells) by increasing their life span thereby boosting the immune system.
AC-11 is Unique
Do not mistake AC-11 proprietary blend with other Uncaria tomentosa products. Some Uncaria tomentosa products are sold under the name of “cat’s claw”. AC-11s chemical composition is different due to its extraction process which is patented. This product contains only low weight molecules and essentially alkaloid free. Currently, it is the only product that contains Carboxy Alkyl Esters actives that have been shown to be effective for DNA repair that slow down the aging process. AC-11 was formulated by Ronald W. Pero Ph..D. who is a biochemist that based AC-11 on more than thirty years of research not only in the lab but in the rainforests of South America. AC-11 is backed by rigorous scientific testing.
Product Safety
Optigenex Inc. uses the services of Centroflora Group in Botucatu, Brazil. This plant is approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is a ISO 9002 certified facility that uses cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices). They tout to be the finest facility in the world in terms of the production of phytotherapic extracts. They claim that AC-11s purity is due to the contaminant free rainforest environment that the plant is harvested from and processed. They also use a molecular filtration system which ensures lack of toxicity with long term use of AC-11. Toxicity has been observed with other Uncaria products in particular with ones that are water insoluble and contain a higher concentration of alkaloids. The LD-50 (lethal dose for 50 percent of the population) for AC-11 has been measured to be greater than 8,000mg per kilogram of weight. The average person weighs somewhere between 70-90kg (150-200 lbs). AC-11 is a component of Alpha Brain supplements by Onnit Labs.
AC-11, a patented phytonutrient extracted from the wild vine Uncaria tomentosa grown in the Amazon rainforest, has been demonstrated scientifically and clinically to have a number of health benefits. These health benefits include: DNA repair by activating enzymes that are known to repair DNA, anti-inflammatory properties due to regulation of NF-kappaB transcriptional factor and increasing the production of collagen type III in skin. This is a powerful anti-aging agent.