You've probably heard a lot about free radicals...
Free radicals are little molecules of "bad stuff" that hit us from the outside.
Think bad air quality, uv-radiation from the sun, pollutants, etc).
Free radicals are also created inside of us, if we eat food with toxins, pesticides, bad oils (like veggie & canola oils)...
When we reduce the effect of free radicals on our bodies...
Then our tissue, organs and skin have enough time to regenerate and feel healthy again.
Free Radicals: A Quick Scientific Overview
What makes these free radical molecules so dangerous?
The answer actually comes from physics.
Each of these free radical molecules have unpaired electrons in their structure. And unpaired electrons can "steal" electrons from other, perfectly healthy molecules.
If done continuously, over time, one molecule to another, this kind of molecular damage grows into cellular damage,
...and then into an organ damage and, literally, all kinds of disease.
So, what can help us against this invisible force?
They are a different type of molecule, called antioxidants, which we'll talk about below.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are opposite of free radicals
Whereas free radicals have a electrons that are missing,
Antioxidants are molecules with additional extra electrons!
Antioxidant molecules have spare electrons, without becoming unstable.
So when an antioxidant "bumps" against a free radical in the micro-space of our bodies, the free radical, as it often does, steals an electron from the other molecule.
But because the other molecule was the antioxidant, it was happy to provide an extra electron anyways! (In our universe, things tend to approach balance)
Interestingly enough, when a free radical gets all of the needed electrons in its orbits, it becomes cool and stable!
That's the magic of how antioxidants counter free radicals.
Where Can We Find Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are actually created inside of our bodies, and ideally, it should be enough for our bodies.
But if our diets and lifestyles aren't ideal, it is a good idea to take additional antioxidants.
Antioxidants are found in astringent foods, teas and wines and especially in high superfoods like Chaga.
Each antioxidant is actually measured by a special score, called the ORAC score.
The ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging (NIH) to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods.
Let's say a blueberry, has an ORAC score of 2,080.
It is tasty, and easy to add to your diets.
More "exotic" foods usually have higher amounts of antioxidants.
Goji berries, for example, has an ORAC score of 40,000, which is 20 times higher! But you can't find Goji berries at every corner.
Acai berry is another great (and tasty) antioxidant with a score of 80,000.
But nothing can get even close to the great Chaga mushroom, with the ORAC score in the millions...
What About Herbal Tea
We should take enough antioxidants each day, for optimal health.
You can easily add blueberries and other berries to your salads, but you don't have to stay there.
Herbal tea is a wonderful source of antioxidants!
Chaga Tea and Ivan Tea are the two "must haves" on your tea shelf. They are potent superfoods, high in ORAC score and antioxidants.
From the team: "The practice of purposely taking antioxidants each day can do wonders for your body. Once you add that a habit, it becomes a whole lot easier to support your natural health."
