How the BioPhotonic Scanner is revolutionizing the way we think about nutrition
nutrition by Karin Ritzmann, J.D. ust to be clear, we're not talking about palmistry, the practice of examining the lines, marks and patterns of the palms of the hands to predict fortunes. Some people consider palmistry a novel form of carnival entertainment at best, whereas others consider The lasers used in the original device were expensive, and sophisticated computers were needed to evaluate the data.
Additionally, the device measured a lot of “noise,” which is the scientific jargon for readings that are polluted somewhat with additional data, making them difÏcult to interpret accurately. Recently, however, scientists at the University of Utah figured out how to put the technology into an accurate, easy-to-use scanner that can correctly evaluate the level of carotenoids in one’s skin. it a legitimate craft. Whatever the value or significance of palmistry, there is a new form of “palm reading” that unquestionably can help improve athletic performance and quality of life.
Carotenoids are chemicals in food that have particular and extraordinarily beneficial effects on health, from fighting cancer of all types, to protecting the skin and eyes against damage from light and UV radiation (sunlight). Some are orange colored, some are reddish (in green vegetables, the green color of chlorophyll masks the carotenoids’ color), but they are all beneficial to health.
A recent technological development, based on a Nobel Prize-awarded discovery, is now being used to accurately, quickly, and painlessly determine the overall nutritional status of athletes and anyone else who takes their health seriously. It’s the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner, developed by scientists at the University of Utah. The technology rapidly and accurately tests antioxidant levels, a good indicator of general nutrition, by flashing a painless beam of light at the palm of your hand.
One of the most knowledgeable scientists in the field of scanner technology is Dr. Mark Bartlett. Dr. Bartlett came to the US 11 years ago from Australia to work for the National Cancer Institute. In 1996 he became a leading researcher in the science division of a company that in 1998 became Pharmanex, IDN, a specialty nutrition com- Antioxidant testing and proper nutritional support work together to develop healthy athletes. pany. Pharmanex has licensed the scanner technology from the University of Utah and has been bringing the According to Dr. Bartlett, there are about 500 different technology to schools, institutions and doctors’
ofÏces for carotenoids in nature, but there are only about 5 or 6 that the last two years. appear critical to diet and which are typically eaten.
Dr. Bartlett took time out from his busy schedule to grant The portable scanner determines the amount of carote- BES an exclusive interview to explain how the scanner noids in the skin of a person’s palm by directing monoworks and how it can revolutionize the way we look at chromatic light on the skin and then measuring the enernutrition. gy that the molecules in the carotenoids give back after being excited by the light beam. This is translated into a Panning for Gold — Make That Scanning for Orange readable level of actual carotenoids in the skin, since all According to Dr. Bartlett, the technology that the scanner carotenoids give off light that the scanner can read.
The implements was first discovered by Indian scientist C.V. results are then indicated by a score. A score of 40,000 Raman, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. would be considered optimal, whereas a score of 20,000 (a For years, the technology has been used in science labs level that BFS has found is alarmingly common among everywhere to measure the light absorbed by various high school teenagers measured thus far) indicates severe chemicals, indicating the levels of the evaluated chemiproblems in an individual's diet. cals present. But none of those measurements was as yet helpful in the area of nutrition.
Many of the foods we eat contain carotenoids. For example, tomatoes are loaded with a carotenoid called lycopene, which has health benefits including protection When you eat foods containing carotenoids, your body against prostate cancer, heart attacks and cardiovascutakes these natural chemicals to where they are needed lar disease in general, as well as the ability to decrease most and they are used up in protecting the body. Ideally, the levels of harmful LDL. Beta-carotene, the chemical you maintain a reserve to protect against damage to your that gives carrots and apricots their orange color and body (more about how this works in a minute).
The which is converted to vitamin A in the body, appears to reserves are scattered throughout your body, including in be critical in protecting against other types of cancers. the palms of your hands.
Lutein, another helpful carotenoid (found in dark green leafy vegetables, fruit, corn and egg yolks), is essential ‘The scanner is able to flash a light on your hands and to protect the eyes from degenerative disease caused by detect the reaction of the carotenoids to this light and long-time exposure to light. Other important carotenoids measure how strong the response is. A strong response include zeaxanthin (plentiful in leafy greens), and alphameans lots of carotenoids are available to protect your carotene (best sources are carrots and pumpkins), body.
A low reading means that you don’t have sufÏcient protection, and one of many typical daily assaults from pollution, sunlight, BFS Clinician Katie Krall scans antioxidant harmful chemicals, and so on will be able to damage your body and impair your health and your performance. Having a reserve of carotenoids stored throughout the body is extremely important. Previously, levels of carotenoids in the body could be determined only by a blood test, and that meant a painful needle stab! Now, that’s all history. When the scanner flashes light on your hand, there is no pain at all.
At this point you might be asking yourself All carotenoids have the same basic chemical structure, whether a measurement of the carotenoid level in the with just minor differences making each type unique in palm of your hand is truly representative of the level the way it looks and the way it behaves in the body. Taken throughout your body. In fact, it is. According to varitogether as a class, these compounds are phenomenal ous studies, including those by Hata in the Journal of {protectors of health, and eating enough of them each day Investigative Dermatology, the level of carotenoids in the is ofcritical importance.
palm does correlate accurately to levels throughout the confirm the correlation between palm carotenoid read- Dr. Bartlett explained that the Pharmanex BioPhotonic ings and blood-level readings and show that the scanner scanner measures the entire class of carotenoids. The does make accurate readings of carotenoid levels in the body. Studies by Drs. Smidt, Gellerman, and Zidichouski Mi scanner could measure each type of carotenoid separately, body. as well, but it is specifically tuned to detect overall levels of the whole class to determine whether you are getting Dr Bartlett referred me to studies that showed how caroenough of all of them or not.
tenoid levels are significant indicators of your nutritional Phatmanex Selentific Advisory Board and key members of the Pharmanex research team. health in general. Here's how it works: which are “super-antioxidants,” is that they easily give up chemical reaction takes place in your body, it negatively electrons to stabilize the free radicals while still remainaffects the cells throughout your body. For example, if stable. In fact, they can take about 20 free-radiyou smoke, the smoke produces something called free cal “hits” before becoming spent and no longer effective. radicals in your body.
These are molecules that are “And perhaps, even more importantly, carotenoids are missing an electron. These molecules desperately want the first line of defense, meaning that they help spare one more electron, so they can become, in effect, bal: other antioxidants that normally work together synergisanced—so they have a pair of electrons. That means that tically throughout the body. So, if you have carotenoid they have to steal their desired electron from somewhere reserves, you definitely have enough of all the other types else. That somewhere else will be the cells in your body. of antioxidants because the carotenoids have protected them from oxidation,” says Bartlett.
Your cells will readily give up an electron from their membranes, thereby impairing their functioning, or from ‘That's why the scanner reading of carotenoid levels really their DNA, and we don’t want to even think about what can accurately show your overall antioxidant nutritional messing with your DNA can do. Your body keeps a supply status, not just that of carotenoids. If your carotenoid of chemicals called antioxidants around just for this type level is low, you are depleted of all antioxidants and must of crisis. improve your diet immediately to protect your health.
The goal is to eat enough antioxidants of every type to The antioxidants easily give up one of their electrons to spare the carotenoids and allow your body to build up the free radicals, to make them inert, or reserves. These reserves, of course, will nonreactive, and to prevent damage or stop show up in your palms. a damaging chain reaction. Antioxidants come in thousands of types. Some are more efÏcient than others, easily giving up electenoids and the levels of other antioxitrons while still remaining stable. Others help more for water-based elements of the by Dr. Svilaaf.
He wondered if the levels body, and still others are more effective for of carotenoids did in fact have relevance fat-based elements of the body. to other antioxidants and found that carotenoid levels remained higher if antioxidants. He found that carotenoids acted in a sacrificial and vegetables every day and in every meal. Eat loads of manner, protecting other antioxidants in the antioxidant green, leafy vegetables, especially, to give you every advannetwork throughout the body. tage in getting enough carotenoids. Have fruit and vegetable snacks. Then measure how you're doing to see where you Now, don’t think that if you are a nonsmoker and are othmight need to improve.
If your levels are still too low, BFS erwise fit, you don’t need to be concerned. Keep in mind recommends a pharmaceutical-quality, balanced nutritional that as beneficial as physical activity is, it does create free aid such as Pharmane’s Life Pack or G3 to fill any gaps. radicals, as do harmful chemicals in air, pollution in water and food, and exposure to heavy metals such as lead and BES has Pharmenex BioPhotonic scanners available for use cadmium. Even being overweight exposes one to a higher by schools to evaluate students and coaches on how they level of free radicals compared to a person of normal weight.
are doing in meeting their team- and individual nutritional But the exertion and energy-burning activity of heavy physigoals. Scanning also helps evaluate the effectiveness of nutrical exercise definitely increases your need for antioxidants in tional aids the person is taking — many antioxidant nutrigeneral. tional aids don’t live up to their claims.
Further, because soil quality has decreased significantly over the past several Scientists are even discovering that high levels of antioxidecades, simply adding additional fruits and vegetables to dants seem to be protective against damage to your arteryour diet may not be enough to ensure adequate antioxidant ies in that they stop fats and cholesterol in the blood from protection. damaging the walls, which then do not respond to damage - by building up plaques of cholesterol and calcium on the With the BioPhotonic scanner, it’s the end of nutritional arterial walls. That means they stay open and flexible, the guesswork. You now have the means to clearly see just how way they should be.
you are doing from a nutritional standpoint, just as you can evaluate your physical development in every other area, Goodbye, Guesswork—Hello, Confident Nutrition whether on or off the field.
“As we always stress at BFS and as Dr. Bartlett agrees, a good ». diet is your best protection against poor health and poor So, when will you get your palm read? Br performance on the field and in the weightroom. Eat a good -variety of fresh food. Be sure to get several servings of fruits FEPAK: Simply the best and most effective nutritional aid
From BFS Magazine — July/August 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
