A-Z antioxidant supplements Articles

Blueberries are the berries from the Vaccinium angustifolium plant, indigenous to North America and Europe. For centuries they have been enjoyed for their taste and as more scientific evidence grows, they are also enjoyed medicinally and are considered a superfruit that's available as blueberry powder. 

What is Blueberry Powder?

This powder is made from freeze-dried blueberries which are then made into a powder.

Found in most health stores, this supplement is a convenient way to enjoy the health benefits of blueberries. 

Blueberries are much more concentrated in powdered form. One tablespoon of Blueberry powder equals ½ cup of fresh blueberries. As such it's more cost-effective to buy this supplement than fresh berries. And the shelf life is much longer.

Health Benefits of Blueberry Powder Supplements

This supplement is high in antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and fibre. Many of the health benefits are related to the purple pigment which is high in antioxidants

Its health benefits include cardiovascular health, brain health, blood sugar regulation and urinary tract infections. 

Because blueberry powder is also low on the Glycemic index and is a source of fibre, it's a great way to help balance blood sugar in cases of Diabetes, high blood glucose and insulin resistance.

One of the most popular reasons to use this supplement is it helps with brain function – specifically, with age-related memory loss and dementia. Both human and animal studies also show it helps improve memory, coordination, and learning.

How Does Blueberry Powder Work In The Body?

ORAC – Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is a scale measuring the ability of a food or nutrient to absorb and neutralize oxidative damaging free radicals. Blueberry powder ranks high on this scale making it beneficial to cognitive and vascular health. By binding and neutralizing chemicals, toxins and oxidized fats, it can protect your heart, brain and arterial system and reduce the formation of plaques.

The antioxidants responsible for its high ORAC value are called flavonoids , specifically anthocyanins. It's these anthocyanins that give Blueberry powder its indigo-purple colour. Laboratory studies suggest that anthocyanins may help prevent degenerative diseases, including unhealthy cell growth, heart disease, stroke, and memory loss. Anthocyanins also have been shown in laboratory studies to inhibit the growth of unhealthy cell growth in the colon.

This supplement is high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant protecting your heart health. Vitamin C is also involved with tissue healing, and immune function, and supports hormone health.

Studies show Blueberry powder may even lower blood pressure. It also has a chemical compound called Stilbenes which is shown to lower negative LDL cholesterol levels. So Blueberry powder is an overall great addition to your diet for cardiovascular health.

Another great reason to take Blueberry powder is it helps prevent urinary tract infections. Similar to cranberry, Blueberry powder contains flavonoids that prevent the binding of infectious bacteria to your urinary tract, thereby inhibiting bacterial growth. Plus Blueberry powder lowers blood sugar and can feed these infection-causing organisms.

How To Use This Supplement

This supplement is easy and convenient to use. Simply add it to shakes, tea, almond milk, hot cereal, baked goods, yogurt or a glass of juice or water. Follow dosing directions on the label or as recommended by your health care practitioner. 

Those who are allergic to blueberries should not take these supplements. To ensure you purchase a high-quality product that's made with clean and potent ingredients, speak to a knowledgeable team member at your preferred natural health food store. 

Ionizing radiation has to do with the strength, volume, and force of the energy, being sufficient to ionize an atom. The ionization of an atom is the process of knocking an electron off the atom, generally resulting in a charged or reactive atom or molecule with unpaired electron(s). Low levels (often termed background) of radiation are inevitable, and all humans on the planet are susceptible. Let's explore how the body handles radiation exposure and what this means for your health. 

How Our Bodies Process Radiation

Our bodies are designed to repair the damage quite easily. At higher levels, the damage, like that to DNA, is both vast and more difficult for the body to address. The body tries to eliminate potential genetic damage by initiating a process called apoptosis (programmed cell death). This basically kills off the abnormal cells before they spread. If this process is dysfunctional or too slow to handle the amount of damage to cells, mutations will continue in all subsequent cell divisions. This can contribute to the formation of mutated cells.

When radioactive iodine is present in the body, the thyroid gland will begin to rapidly absorb/take it up. Accumulation of radioactive iodine has been directly linked to increased incidence of mutated cells in the thyroid, especially in younger populations. Potassium iodide competes with radioactive iodine at receptor sites. It fills these sites and prevents the thyroid from taking up any of the radioactive substance. Its action at these receptor sites lasts 24 hours, meaning the thyroid is unable to take up any more iodine, “stable or radioactive“ during that time. It is important to understand that potassium iodide does not protect the body as a whole from radioactive iodine, nor does it prevent any other body part from taking it up. Its actions are very specific to the thyroid. It has no effect on other radioactive elements, like cesium, nor the effects these elements may have on the body.

Environments With Radiation Exposure

Examples of use of ionizing radiation include X-ray machines, power stations and nuclear reactors. Radiologic and nuclear events can release radioactive iodine, strontium, plutonium, and cesium isotopes. Substances in rocks and soil naturally give off a small amount of ionizing radiation, as does the environment outside our solar system, otherwise known as cosmic radiation. Cosmic radiation far exceeds what we have the capacity to create ourselves. Airline flight crews typically receive higher annual radiation exposure from cosmic radiation than most workers. Radon 222, a major contributor to "background radiation", is a colourless, odourless gas found in soil, water and air. It seeps from uranium-containing soils, present in all areas of the world. High radon exposure increases the risk of lung cancer.

A standard chest X-ray exposes patients to a small amount of ionizing radiation. The exact dose varies by imaging procedure. In terms of sieverts (a measure that quantifies the amount of radiation absorbed by human tissues), an X-ray gives off 400-600 microsieverts, while a whole body CT scan is equal to 15-20 millisieverts, significantly more. That's roughly the same amount that nuclear industry employees and uranium miners are advised to limit their exposure to in the course of one year! Flying creates 3-9 microsieverts per hour. Over a one-year period, natural sources of radiation, including radon from soil and radiation from the sun, total approximately 1-5 millisieverts, depending on location. 

What Are The Symptoms of Radiation Toxicity?

Radiation sickness, a life-threatening illness characterized by:

• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Hair loss
• Destruction of white blood cells

These symptoms can occur at levels of 1-2 sieverts in a one-time dose. There is very little information or research dedicated to the overall health effects of long-term, low dose (or background levels) of radiation and its potential to accumulate in the body. 100 millisieverts/year is said to be the lowest at which increased incidence of cancer is clearly evident.

Understanding Non-Ionizing Radiation

Non-ionizing radiation involves changing the position of atoms within a molecule, but not altering the structure, composition, and properties of the atom. Because the atoms are not altered, non-ionizing radiation is thought to be less dangerous. TV and radio waves, ultraviolet and infrared waves, cell phone, microwaves, electric blankets and visible light are all examples of non-ionizing radiation. Ultraviolet and visible light from the sun does cause physical damage to both the skin and eyes. Some argue that the well-researched and damaging effects of the sun, being a form of non-ionizing radiation, bring to light questions about the damaging effects of other "safe" forms of radiation, like those given off during microwave and cell phone use. Governments regulate radiation emissions from household devices such as microwaves and cell phones. Researchers continue to study the potential health effects of long-term exposure. MRI devices, radar and satellite stations, as well as cell phone towers, produce exponentially more than our in-home devices and may be doing more long-term damage than we realize.

Food has been shown to have significantly decreased, if any, nutritional value when heated in a microwave. Some studies have shown food to possess carcinogenic properties from radiation through microwave cooking methods. Some studies have examined possible links between heavy cell phone use and certain brain tumours. Researchers have also investigated acoustic neuroma and tumours occurring on the phone-use side. However, current evidence remains inconclusive. Researchers continue to study these potential associations. You can take simple steps to reduce exposure to both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Using a convection oven as an alternative to microwaving, wearing a headset or hands-free device when talking on a cell phone, driving instead of flying, when possible, and avoiding excess imaging, such as X-rays, CT and MRI, may all help to significantly lower exposure.