Published, peer-reviewed studies, and an honest account of what they do and don’t show.
C60 is a molecule made of 60 carbon atoms joined into a hollow sphere of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons, the same pattern as a soccer ball. It was discovered in 1985 by Harold Kroto, Robert Curl, Richard Smalley and colleagues (Kroto et al., Nature, 1985). That discovery earned Kroto, Curl and Smalley the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Beyond C60 uses Carbon Nano Onions: multi-layered carbon structures with fullerene shells nested inside one another, like the layers of an onion. Over the past three decades, scientists have published many laboratory studies on C60 and related carbon structures. The studies below are indexed on PubMed, the research database run by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that form during normal metabolism and from exposure to sun, pollution and stress. When they build up faster than the body can neutralize them, the result is oxidative stress, a normal part of how cells age.
C60’s structure is what makes it interesting to researchers. Its surface has many carbon-carbon double bonds that free radicals can attach to. In a 1991 chemistry study, a single C60 molecule took up 15 or more radicals (Krusic et al., Science, 1991), which is why researchers nicknamed it a “radical sponge.” Later studies found that a C60 derivative mimics superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the body’s own antioxidant enzymes (Ali et al., 2004).
How does that compare with vitamin C? Vitamin C neutralizes a free radical by giving up an electron, which uses it up until the body recycles it, a job glutathione helps with. In the same 1991 study, a single C60 molecule took up 15 or more free radicals. That difference in how they work, rather than a potency number, is what makes C60 interesting to researchers. No published study has compared Carbon Nano Onions with vitamin C directly.
Carbon Nano Onions have several nested shells instead of one, so they have more surface available to interact with free radicals. That is the idea behind our formulation. Published research has mostly studied single-shell C60 rather than Carbon Nano Onions.
Every study below was done in cells or animals, not in people. Most tested plain C60, or C60 modified to dissolve in water, rather than Carbon Nano Onions.
| Study | Model | What was tested | What researchers reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krusic et al., Science, 1991 | Chemistry lab | Pure C60 | One molecule took up many free radicals, which earned C60 the nickname “radical sponge” |
| Dugan et al., Neurobiology of Disease, 1996 | Cells | Water-soluble C60 (fullerenol) | Fewer cells died under oxidative stress |
| Ali et al., Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2004 | Cells Mice | A modified C60 (carboxyfullerene) | Acted like superoxide dismutase, one of the body’s own antioxidant enzymes |
| Quick et al., Neurobiology of Aging, 2008 | Mice | A modified C60 (carboxyfullerene) given from middle age | Less age-related oxidative stress, better performance on a memory task and longer lifespan |
| Baati et al., Biomaterials, 2012 | Rats | C60 dissolved in olive oil, taken by mouth | No chronic toxicity. Treated rats lived nearly twice as long as untreated rats in a small study |
| Grohn et al., GeroScience, 2021 | Mice | C60 in olive oil, taken by mouth and by injection | No significant lifespan or healthspan benefit. Commercial C60 oils varied in quality, and C60 oil exposed to light formed harmful compounds |
| Liao et al., Life, 2021 | Cells Mice | Water-soluble C60 during exposure to a grain mycotoxin (DON) | Less oxidative stress, higher antioxidant enzyme activity and better-preserved intestinal lining |
| Hui et al., J. Inflammation Research, 2023 | Human cells Dogs | C60 dissolved in grape seed oil | Lower levels of inflammation markers in cells and in dogs given C60 by mouth |
Your body makes free radicals every day, during exercise and normal energy production. Sunlight, air pollution and smoke add more. When free radicals outpace the body’s defenses, the imbalance is called oxidative stress, and it can damage cells (NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health).
The body defends itself in two ways:
These defenses are central to how cells keep themselves in balance, and supporting them is the idea behind every antioxidant supplement.
Glutathione is a small protein made of three amino acids (glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine). Researchers describe it as the most important antioxidant inside cells that isn’t an enzyme (Pompella & Corti, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2015). It is also the fuel for glutathione peroxidase, one of the body’s key antioxidant enzymes.
Whether glutathione taken by mouth raises the body’s levels has been debated. In a 6-month randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 54 healthy adults, 1,000 mg a day raised glutathione in blood cells and plasma by 30–35% (Richie et al., European Journal of Nutrition, 2015). A shorter 4-week trial found no significant change (Allen & Bradley, 2011), so the length of use may matter.
Resveratrol is a plant polyphenol found in red grape skins, berries and peanuts. In laboratory research it works two ways: it neutralizes free radicals directly, and it switches on the cell’s own defenses, raising SOD, catalase and glutathione peroxidase and supporting glutathione levels through the Nrf2 and SIRT1 pathways (Truong et al., BioFactors, 2018). A review of human studies found resveratrol supplements safe and detectable in the blood after use, with absorption that depends on dose and whether it’s taken with food (Ramírez-Garza et al., Nutrients, 2018).
Our Super Carbon Capsules combine three ingredients that support antioxidant defense in different ways:
| Ingredient | Role it plays in research | How it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Nano Onions (C60-type carbon) | Takes up free radicals on its carbon surface; a C60 derivative also acts like the SOD enzyme | Direct, high-capacity radical scavenging |
| Glutathione | The cell’s main non-enzyme antioxidant and the fuel for glutathione peroxidase | Replenishes the body’s own front-line defense |
| Resveratrol | Switches on genes for antioxidant enzymes through Nrf2 and SIRT1 | Helps cells build up their own defenses over time |
The idea is coverage. One ingredient neutralizes free radicals directly, one restocks the body’s main antioxidant, and one signals cells to make more of their own protective enzymes.
To be clear: this combination has not been tested as a formula in a published study. The design is based on how each ingredient works on its own, as described in the research above. Glutathione and resveratrol are in the capsules only; the Tincture contains Carbon Nano Onions without them.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The studies above are summarized for educational purposes and were done in cells or animals, not in people. Talk with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.
