It depends…. (OK, thanks for the lawyer answer)…
My first thought is “Good” because I was a 20-something year old hippie in the early 70’s – yes, I have the pictures to prove it but I won’t show them (fear of blackmail). What did you expect? I lived in Boulder!
And yes, we were “free” – in fact that was about every other word in the vocabulary of the day. And many considered us “radical” – we couldn’t imagine why at the time. Just because we turned everything upside down in our way of thinking…but I digress (to a fun, good-time period).
When talking about HEALTH – which is today’s focus – Free Radicals are scary bad dudes. So you would have to go with the descriptor “BAD” – truly destructive bad.
The trail that led me here started with my intent to share with you that Youngevity’s SYNAPTIV is back after being on back order for over 2 months. (Youngevity said it was container shortage problems – after 2 weeks without it, I offered to drive to the facility with a box of baggies and pick up my tablets in person – that didn’t work!) I was desperate.
Dr. Joanne Conaway described it best when this product first appeared – she said “Synaptiv is great benefit for people who need a boost for normal brain function. It is what your brain needs to work optimally.” And I knew this was soooo true because of my personal experience and that of others in my customer line.
But if you like stats – here ya go: “An estimated 20% of adults over 55 years old experience some form of mental health concern. From mood disorders to anxiety to cognitive impairment, mental function becomes a relative issue to many aging adults.” www.cdc.gov
But I like personal stories. Back when I did scrapbooking crops, one woman (younger than me) came one day distressed because her husband was upset at her for forgetting things so frequently. I had just gotten a shipment with 2 boxes of Synaptiv and gave her one to try. In less than a week, she called me and, being the more emotional type, she was yelling “It works! My husband says I have a new brain! It is amazing! I’m remembering everything…..” etc. Now, that’s “GOOD”.
I personally knew how well it worked for me but when I looked at the info on Synaptiv, I saw more that I liked. Not only did it enhance cognitive activity (how many times do you hear “uh-uh, you know, uh, that thing, uh-uh”?) but I read about the “full spectrum antioxidant blend for enhanced neuro-protection”.
Darn – here I am again trying to remember what antioxidants are, really, and why they were good. I knew it had something to do with “free radicals” but I needed a refresher. Maybe you do, too. I went back to my earlier blog on Guilt-Free Chocolate (the Triple Treat Chocolate) where this “simplified” description was quick to remind me of the full picture….
Think of antioxidants as SuperHeroes – they are our “reactive oxygen” scavengers
Our enemy? Environmental influences (like disease, pollution, toxins, chemicals, radiation, prescription drugs, etc.) These cause the molecules within our bodies to oxidize – think “rust”
This oxidation process causes FREE RADICALS, or unstable molecules. Picture high-energy chemical BuzzBombs that ricochet around causing damage to our otherwise healthy molecules or cells. The result? Widespread cellular damage which can lead to degenerative diseases, premature aging and impaired immune system.
We need MORE ANTIOXIDANTS daily! These “SuperHeroes” stop the damaging chain reaction of those free radical buzz-bombs. So – a diet rich in antioxidants will ensure a constant supply of SuperHeroes killing the free radicals.
ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity and is a measurement tool to tell us the level of antioxidant activity within a food or product.
Hurray for the SuperHeroes (antioxidants)! But….how many do you need?
For perspective, when Dr. Wallach (founder of Youngevity) was asked what helps promote and support a healthy digestive tract, he aims for 100,000 ORAC points a day. He named several products that help get those in your body – Triple Treat Chocolate (16,936 ORAC), Root Beer Belly probiotics, Flora Fx, Beyond Tangy Tangerine 2.0 (8,000 ORAC) and others.
And guess what? Synaptiv has 3,000 ORAC – I already loved it but now I love it more!
Again….I need a story to make those numbers meaningful. Richard Renton (quality control for YGY) shared that an orange has about 600 ORAC points so you would have to consume a couple of cases of oranges to get just the amount of antioxidant benefit found in one square of Triple Treat Chocolate. WHOA – that is a picture for me!
So as I pulled out a brochure for you (with full details) on Synaptiv, I saw even more reason for me to love it – “first supplement that supplies immediate anti-stress nutrients for instant brain-bosting support while also delivering extended release antioxidants for long-term brain health benefits.”
I was very happy with the “brain boost” I was getting – but now I really appreciate the SuperHeroes I have in action and the anti-stress fighters. You can get their facts and details on this brochure HERE and you can get a full picture of ORAC HERE.
And if you want to see the Synaptiv information, here is a link to my website showing it HERE.
One more “lesson learned” – I will keep a 2 month supply on my shelf from “here on out…” and I suggest you do the same! Happy thinking & remembering!
Food and dietary supplement products sold by Youngevity are intended to contribute to the daily diet and overall health and are not intended for use in the prevention, treatment, mitigation, or cure of any disease or health-related condition. Individuals who have or suspect they have an illness or who wish to commence a diet or exercise program should consult an appropriately licensed health care practitioner for a medical history evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and health recommendations.
