A viewer writes: “I wanted to share with you the new supplement I started taking, as the ingredients are very interesting to me. It’s called High Impact Endurance by Tony Horton’s Power Life. On the label, it says, “For antioxidant protection, athletic performance, and body composition.” “Potent antioxidant. Boost cellular energy.” The ingredients are ElevATP 150 mg (Ancient fossilized Peat and Apple fruit extract) and Astanxanthin and Hawaiian Algae 6 mg. It’s supposed to result in a marked increase in bodily energy.” Is this supplement safe and of significant value? What is most important for us to know?

This is both safe and of value for doing exactly what is described here. This supplement will both increase energy, and do so safely, while reducing toxic oxygen metabolism byproducts that have deleterious effects on cells and tissues. This is aiding ongoing housekeeping functions that must be managed successfully to avoid a gradual deterioration over time. Many of the consequences of aging, leading to decline and loss of function, are a consequence of oxidative damage, so anything that slows that process gives the body's natural antioxidant management chemistry the advantage in staying on top of things and preventing an excess destructive influence. The energetics are important as well, because everything you need your body to do takes energy. The more abundant the energy, the more robust, resilient, vibrant, and youthful the body can be. Much of being old and feeble is slowed metabolism that provides insufficient energy. This is the main reason people cannot leap out of their chairs or out of bed in the morning, eager to take on the day, looking forward with excitement to maybe even having a physical workout of some kind, perhaps jogging or some calisthenics as a kind of warm-up, knowing there will be plenty of energy still available for all of their daily work. An old person trying that start would be used up for the day, in all likelihood. So this is a well-meaning offering that brings some benefits forward in that regard, and as such, puts a spotlight on the issue. It is not the ultimate answer and the be-all and end-all, but anything that has a significant benefit is worth doing if one's goal is to stay in top form and counteract, especially, age-related decline.