Episode 152: The Importance of Antioxidants And A Look At Thinker

doTERRA: You probably hear a lot about antioxidants and how important they are. But what are antioxidants really, and why do you need them? Today we'll talk about what antioxidants are, why you need them, and how doTERRA products can help.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful, and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field. If you like what you hear today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. We always appreciate hearing from you.

Today, we're excited to talk to Samantha Lewis about antioxidant support. Plus, we'll take a look at the oils behind the Thinker® blend. Samantha, thank you so much for being back with us today.

Samantha Lewis: Thank you so much for having me!

doTERRA: We are really excited to talk about this topic, and it's one that becomes more important as we head into a season where there are more environmental threats and things that we need to be concerned about. So my first question is, what are antioxidants and what do they do for our bodies?

Samantha: I couldn't agree more. Honestly, this is one of my favorite subjects to talk about, and really very basically antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your body. So free radicals, which are unstable molecules, can cause harm if their levels become too high. Often linked to multiple health conditions, free radicals need to be kept in check. Our bodies have their own antioxidant defenses to help keep free radicals in check, but sometimes your body might need additional support from other things that are high in antioxidants, like different foods and supplements.

doTERRA: So talking about foods and supplements, what are some of the lifestyle choices that we can make to support our body with antioxidants?

Samantha: I love the way you put that—what lifestyle choices—because I think that is the most simple way to help support our body is through some very basic lifestyle changes that avoid excessive free radical creation and stress on your defense system.

This includes but is definitely not limited to decreasing the amount of polyunsaturated fat intake, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, lowering overall stress, both emotional and physical, and even avoiding excessive intake of antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, because, yes, too much of a good thing can be bad sometimes.

And, of course, monitor all these things in collaboration with your primary healthcare provider. But really, avoiding toxins and free radical creation isn't as easy as you may think. So oftentimes, you might want to support your natural antioxidant system through antioxidant-rich foods and supplements, like I mentioned. Many fruits and vegetables and other plant-based whole foods are really high in naturally occurring antioxidants.

doTERRA: I love all of those ideas. And like you said, just making sure that you're watching yourself, not getting too much of a good thing, making sure that everything is in balance. I think that's so important. So what doTERRA products can I combine with my lifestyle choices to help give my body a little extra antioxidant support?

Samantha: This is one of my favorite questions. And really, because we have so many options, we have amazing products that have powerful ingredients, and they've actually shown some great antioxidant support within the body or via in vitro research. For example, Black Pepper essential oils showed through experimental research that it can perform as a strong antioxidant by literally scavenging for free radicals. How cool is that?

And Copaiba, which is actually fairly similar in black chemistry to Black Pepper, is high in Beta-caryophyllene, which has been shown to positively balance oxidative stress.

And our Yarrow|Pom Capsules are chock full of powerful antioxidant ingredients like melon seed and vitamin C. And it's a great daily supplement to help support your body's natural antioxidant properties.

Pairing the supplement with your LLV should give you the daily support you need.

doTERRA: I love all of those. And like you said, there are so many options, which means that you can find the one that works for you, that fits into your lifestyle routine, and that's going to help.

Samantha: Couldn't agree more. Just get out there, play with different options, and see what lifestyle changes plus what foods and supplements you can incorporate that can really help support your body's natural systems.

doTERRA: Samantha, it is always so great to talk to you. You teach us so much. Thank you so much for teaching us a little bit more about antioxidant support.

Samantha: Thank you so much for having me!

doTERRA: We all know the dread of starting school again, the long days, the seemingly endless homework. And we all want to find a way to make things a little better. Thinker is the perfect blend for school, for kids and parents alike. With the powerhouse blend of Vetiver, Peppermint, Clementine, and Rosemary, it’s ideal for daily use and ready to become your favorite classmate.

Today we’re going to talk about some internal historical uses for some of these plants, but we want to remind you that the Thinker blend is for aromatic or topical use only. Any internal benefits discussed for the individual oils in the blend are not applicable to aromatic or topical use.

Vetiver

The woody, warm aroma of Vetiver instinctively makes you want to take a big, deep breath. Vetiver is a holy herb that has its name etched in the oldest sacred book of Hindus known as Bhagavad Gita, where it says, “I am the fragrance of the soil.” Vetiver has had a long and storied history.

In African countries where vetiver grows, the grass is used in making roof thatches as well as making rugs, baskets, and certain other parts of the home.

In India, mats weaved with Vetiver roots are trusted to cool, protect and refresh their homes during the scorching summer season. Additionally, gods and idols in India are honored with garlands made of Vetiver grass.

The sweet, woody, earthy, and reviving fragrance of vetiver instills confidence and kindles the aura of the human body by transforming the aura of nature flawlessly. And since the Middle Ages, Vetiver has been commonly used in perfumes.

Vetiver is also a staple in many Ayurvedic practices. It’s considered a sacred oil that has the potential to open the crown and root chakras where chakra is considered as the vital center of power of the human body. The historical practices of Vetiver have also made it a principal part of Ayurvedic massage therapy.

Peppermint

Peppermint lends itself well to this blend with its fresh, invigorating aroma. An aroma that people throughout history have also appreciated. In fact, some of the earliest mentions of peppermint appear in Greek mythology, by Roman philosophers, the Christian Bible, and by Monks in the Middle Ages. There are even Ancient Egyptian medical texts dating as early as 1550 BC that include peppermint.

Pliny, a Roman scientist, and historian recorded that the Greeks and Romans used peppermint to flavor sauces and wines. And sprays of peppermint also adorned their tables.

And ancient Greek physicians used two different species of mint in their practices, and there’s also evidence that the Egyptians cultivated peppermint and dried leaves that were even discovered in several pyramids.

In parts of medieval Europe, mint was used not only as an herb but as a breath freshener. People mixed it into vinegar to make mouthwash, or just chewed on it to make their breath less gross.

Peppermint is also mentioned in thirteenth-century Icelandic. But it wasn’t until the middle of the 18th century that peppermint was cultivated for its properties in Western Europe and England.

Clementine

Next, we have the bright scent of Clementine. Clementines have been called the “Crown Jewel” of the citrus world. They've also been referred to as “zipper oranges” and “kid-glove oranges” because they are so easy to peel.

The clementine is part of the citrus family, more precisely, it’s a variety of Mandarin. The clementine is a cross between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarin orange. It grows on trees and the fruit looks like little mini oranges. Clementines are considered to be the tiniest in the Mandarin orange family. They are typically juicy and sweet, with less acid than a regular orange.

They are particularly popular during the holiday season. In the United States, they’re often called “Christmas oranges” because their limited growing season in the US falls during winter. Making them perfect for holiday gifts because they are just reaching their peak during the Christmas holiday. This made giving clementine oranges as a gift extremely popular.

Surprisingly, the clementine has not always had a high level of popularity in the United States. But in 1997, Florida orange crops were damaged due to the harsh winter, creating a shortage of oranges. The clementine was there to step into the spotlight, and it gained a huge boost in popularity, which continues today.

Rosemary

Finally, we have the beautiful, herby aroma of Rosemary. The first mention of rosemary is found on cuneiform stone tablets as early as 5,000 BC. But after that, not a whole lot is known, except that Egyptians used it in their burial rituals. There aren’t any further mentions of rosemary until the ancient Greeks and Romans. Pliny the Elder wrote about it in The Natural History, Dioscorides also wrote about rosemary in his most famous writing, De Materia Medica, one of the most influential herbal books in history.

Rosemary is a member of the mint family, which includes many other culinary herbs. It made its way to England at an unknown date; the Romans probably brought it when they invaded in the first century, but there aren’t any viable records about rosemary arriving in Britain until the 8th century. This was credited to Charlemagne, who promoted herbs in general and adored rosemary, and ordered it to be grown in monastic gardens and farms.

Rosemary finally arrived in the Americas with early European settlers at the beginning of the 17th century. It soon spread to South America and then to global distribution.

Rosemary was considered sacred to ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. In Don Quixote, the fictional hero even used rosemary in his recipe for balm of fierabras.

Now, whether it’s the adults, or kids, or everyone in your house that could use a little bit of Thinker, we know that it will soon be a family favorite.

Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you liked what you heard today, rate review and subscribe wherever you listen. Also, if you want to try any of the products you learned about, go to Doue TerraCom or find a wellness advocate near you to place an order today.