Antioxidant Wars

Lately we hear a lot about antioxidants and the important role they play on our health. We get antioxidants from many things, but only hear a lot, about a specific few. One of the most well known of course, is blueberries. Wolfberry, also called goji berries, is talked about fairly often as well. And now, there’s the highly publicized, acai’ berry, (pronounced ah-sigh-ee), which gets a lot of attention, good and bad! Anyway, what makes antioxidants so important and what about this ORAC score, I keep hearing about?

The free-radical theory of aging (FRTA) states that organisms age because cells accumulate free radical damage over time. A free radical is any atom or molecule that has a single unpaired electron in an outer shell. While a few free radicals such as melanin are not chemically reactive, most biologically-relevant free radicals are highly reactive. For most biological structures, free radical damage is closely associated with oxidative damage. Antioxidants are reducing agents, and limit oxidative damage to biological structures by passivating free radicals.

Now about this ORAC score, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. Basically it measures the antioxidant levels of food and other chemical substances. If a food has a high ORAC score, that means it is high in antioxidants. The higher the ORAC score, the better that particular food is at helping us fight diseases, like Alzhemier’s, cancer, heart disease and Parkinson’s. That’s what, Eat This Not That, had to say about blueberries. Check this out;

Eat This
Blueberries
Antioxidants in blueberries help protect the brain from free-radical damage, which could decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and improve cognitive processing. Wild blueberries, if you can find them, have even more brain-boosting antioxidants than the cultivated variety.
http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/content/food-fixes?article=5&page=1

Then I just got this today from Total Health Breakthrough, on how Berries Boost Brainpower

Our mental functions slow down as we age. Our focus weakens with each passing year. We lose memory clarity. That’s because oxidative stress ravages our mental systems across the decades. And our brains lose nutrients for prime function. But antioxidants can help reverse this damage. The right combination of foods can replace the nutrients we lose. They can even prevent memory loss.THB panel expert Dr. Al Sears says, “Feed your brain [what] it needs. You can maintain and even improve your brain function… no matter how old you are.”You can find antioxidants in everyday food. Simple store-bought berries are a rich source. Studies show that blueberries “increase health and enhance cognitive function in aging.”The first step to restoring brain power is simple. It can be as easy as adding fresh blueberries to your yogurt at breakfast time.

While blueberries are an excellent food and a source of antioxidants, they only combat free radicals in our system for 30-60 minutes, before they are rendered ineffective. This is because they are only water soluble, and are flushed out of the system in a very short amount of time. However, AloeAdvanced™ contains a great fat soluble antioxidant, that comes from the deep waters off the coast of Japan, called Eklonia Cava kelp Extract. This ‘magic dust’ lasts up to 24x longer and penetrates the blood brain barrier, making it truly unique when it comes to brain-boosting capabilities. 39 million dollars of research went into finding this out and the results are Amazing!

Ecklonia Cava Extract has been scientifically proven to help you’re…

CHOLESTEROL & HEART: One recent study indicates that it can help lower your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in as little as eight weeks.
BLOOD FLOW & CIRCULATION: Improve blood flow to your heart and brain in as few as six weeks and enhance circulation.
MENTAL FOCUS: In an acute dosage study, it helped boost alpha waves, which are associated with increased mental acuity, and is also one of the few natural substances that crosses the blood/brain barrier and provides antioxidant protection for your brain.
JOINTS: Soothe stiff, sore joints and ease everyday joint aches and discomfort without risky side effects.
ENERGY: Flood your body with natural energy and keep yourself more alert, even after long hours or long days.