Episode 247: Supporting Yourself with Antioxidants Plus the History of Kumquat

Antioxidants are a huge buzzword, but how much do you really know about them? Today, we'll find out a little bit more.

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. This episode is brought to you by the MetaPWR system. Are you ready to make some lasting changes this year? Let the MetaPWR system and the 30-day MetaPWR Metabolic Health challenge help you right now as a podcast exclusive.

If you buy the MetaPWR system and enter the promo code "SUPPORT" at checkout, we'll send you an exclusive audiobook, 30 Day MetaPWR Metabolic Health Challenge. This audiobook will walk you through 30 days of simple, step by step lessons and daily challenges focused on nutrition, digestion, movement and metabolism. Check out the link in our episode description or visit doterra.com/podcastoffer to learn more. Open to US Orders only.

Today, we're excited to talk to Dr. Scott Johnson, director of Research Substantiation for doTERRA, all about antioxidants. Plus, we'll explore a little bit of the history of kumquat.

doTERRA: Scott, thank you so much for being here with us today.

Dr. Johnson: It's always a pleasure. Thanks for inviting me.

doTERRA: Of course. This is a topic I'm very excited to talk about because I don't feel like I know a lot about essential oils with this topic. So to start us off, can you tell us what antioxidants are?

Dr. Johnson: Yeah, antioxidants are substances that slow or prevent oxidation, so it's kind of written into the name. But really to better understand antioxidants, we need to understand their relationship with free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that are unstable because they're missing a paired electron, and because they're missing that paired electron, hey try and go throughout the body and steal an electron from whatever cell they can get one from.

And the process of stealing an electron from that cell can damage not only the cell, but DNA and tissues the cells are made up of. So that gets kind of complex. So one way I like to describe free radicals and antioxidants in their relationship is by comparing this situation to a bully trying to take your lunch money. And so I know it sounds kind of weird, but let me just stick with me for a minute. So your cells have lunch money and that's the electron that the free radical needs that bully or free radical wants to steal your lunch money because it doesn't have enough lunch money to buy its own lunch.

And so this bully could easily take your lunch money from your cells without your protective big brothers, antioxidants. And so antioxidants are that protective big brother that protect your cells from getting your lunch money or that electron stolen by donating an electron to the free radical or the bully. So it's like the bully, you know, he doesn't have the money. The antioxidants know they can protect your cells, but they're still really kind, your big brother is, and so says, you know, I see you don't have some lunch money, so I'm going to give you the lunch money you need.

And by doing so, that actually neutralizes the free radical and stops it from trying to steal lunch money. And so that's really the best way to describe that relationship between antioxidants and free radicals and how antioxidants are so vital to protect our cells. Because without that, cells are going to have lunch money and their electrons stolen all the time, they're going to be damaged. And then obviously you're not going to be as healthy because of that.

doTERRA: So obviously, you talked about a lot of different ways that antioxidants kind of impact the free radicals and different things like that. Can you sum up why they are so important and what it is exactly they do for our bodies?

Dr. Johnson: Yeah, well, free radicals are so pervasive that we need an ample supply of antioxidants to protect us against them. And that comes in really two primary ways. Your body produces some of its own antioxidants, naturally, as a protective factor. But the other way is by ingesting them and that can come through diet or dietary supplements. We're exposed to free radicals every single day, and those exposures come through normal body processes that create them, such as metabolism and even breathing and immune responses.

And of course, through exposure in our environment such as pollution or the sun's ultraviolet rays or smoke. And research shows us that diets rich in antioxidants, particularly from a variety of fruits and vegetables, improve overall health. This is likely because antioxidants support a healthy inflammatory response. They also reduce tissue damage.

They support cardiovascular health. They protect DNA and support healthy immune responses and even aid cognition. And so antioxidants are used by so many body systems in order to help us maintain that state of wellness. Topically, antioxidants also protect the skin, particularly against UV damage to help maintain healthy looking skin. One thing that that I think is important to keep in mind is that antioxidants also need support, and that's from other phytochemicals.

For example, after vitamin C has quenched a free radical, it needs to be restored back to its antioxidant form by another phytochemical like risperidone, which is a flavonoid that is naturally found in citrus fruits. And this makes it important to get a balanced level of multiple antioxidants and phytonutrients in order to keep our antioxidant defenses working at their highest and best level.

doTERRA: Wow. So what are some of those lifestyle changes we can make to support our body with antioxidants? And obviously we can't avoid free radicals. They're going to happen. What can we do to help support our body with antioxidants?

Dr. Johnson: Yeah, one of the biggest things is to eat a healthy diet because the foods that contain antioxidants are typically nutrient dense foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts. And then you also have like teas and herbs that also can be really high in antioxidants. Some powerhouse foods full of antioxidants include like pomegranates and grapes, apples, dark chocolate, spinach, berries, beets and even salmon.

And so, in addition, we want to be careful with what we're bringing into our body through our diet. And so we want to really limit or avoid foods that increase free radical production or introduce more free radicals into our body like alcohol, highly refined vegetable oils and fried foods. Another lifestyle factor is to manage stress. All of us have stress. There's not really a way to avoid it, so we need to adapt our responses to stress.

Psychological stress can actually alter the function of key body systems, and ultimately that increases the generation of free radicals in our body. Exercise is also important, but it shouldn't be done in excess. Moderate exercise actually increases your body's natural production of its own antioxidants. But if you overtrain or have too much exercise, then your body goes into the opposite of actually producing more free radicals. So it's a matter of finding the right balance of exercise in order to make your body produce more antioxidants, but not free radicals.

doTERRA: Absolutely. That is so interesting. Now, you mentioned all of these foods, these habits that we can work into our lifestyle. Obviously, sometimes we're probably still going to come up a little bit short and need something quick that we can add into our routine. So what are some doterra products that I can utilize to give my body antioxidant support?

Dr. Johnson: Yeah, the interesting thing is that the products that are going to help you with antioxidant support are also going to be those that are just good for your overall well-being in any way. And so it makes it really easy in that sense that like your LLV pack is going to be critical because Microplex VMz provides 22 essential vitamins and minerals, and that includes antioxidants, vitamins like a C and D, and then minerals that are known to have antioxidant properties like selenium and manganese.

Even more importantly, though, these are provided in complexes like chelated minerals, full spectrum nutrients and glycoprotein matrix vitamins that actually help us increase bioavailability of those vitamins and minerals and help our body utilize them better, including those antioxidants.

Another supplement is Alpha CRS+, which contains a blend of antioxidants designed to support healthy cellular function. Some of the key things that contains is like polyphenols, including curcumin, resveratrol, silymarin, and baicalin . And so that's another great supplement. And of course, it's in that foundational pack.

Continuing our team of supplements from LLV, xEO Omega contains vitamins D and E, which we just talked about, them being antioxidants along with a very powerful plant antioxidant that comes from microalgae called Astaxanthin. So with the LLV, you kind of get your foundational nutrients, but you're also supplying your body with a variety of different antioxidants.

Now, shifting gears a little bit to essential oils when it comes to essential oils, there are so many of them that actually have shown antioxidant properties in various laboratory assays. And so that's the most common way you're going to evaluate antioxidant properties of whatever substance is through some kind of laboratory assay. And there are several of them that you can use, and essential oils have shown in all of these different assays to have antioxidant properties.

Some of the most potent antioxidant essential oils include Oregano and Thyme, Clove, Basil, and Melissa. doTERRA kind of made it easy for us because they included essential oils with antioxidant properties in a single blend and the corresponding supplement of that blend called DDR Prime. So that's another way that we can just take it as a supplement. Or there's the oil, if you want to use that as well. And you're going to also find antioxidants in our skin care products like Yarrow|Pom talked about pomegranate and how it was one of your really high antioxidant foods. Well, you can also find antioxidants in its oil and that's in Yarrow|Pom.

doTERRA: That is so incredible. And like you said, obviously the essential oils come from the foods. You know, that basil, that oregano, the pomegranate, it all kind of transfers over. And that's so incredible to see. Yeah. How do you take some of these products? Obviously, we have the things like LLV, that's super self-explanatory, but some of these other oils and supplements, how do you work those into your daily routine?

Dr. Johnson: Yeah, you know, I start by taking foundational supplements like the Microplex VMz because you want to get your antioxidant vitamins and minerals, and I'll also ingest certain essential oils that are known to have antioxidant properties as needed for specific situations or something that I'm going through. I think the key is to get the foundational vitamins and minerals and then add from there according to your individual needs.

doTERRA: I love that. And I say this a lot, but it's one of my favorite things about oils in our products is that you do have the foundation and then you have such a range of products to choose from to customize to your own needs and what your body is telling you it needs.

Dr. Johnson: Right.

doTERRA: Scott, thank you so much for talking with us today, for teaching us more about antioxidants, the importance that they have of having those in our body all the time and how we can get a little bit more in our daily lives.

Dr. Johnson: You're very welcome.

doTERRA: A unique and lesser-known gem of the citrus world. This tiny fruit packs a big flavor and can be eaten peel and all.

Today, we're going to talk about some internal historical uses for some of these plants. But we want to remind you that various plant parts, such as leaves bark, flower, stem fruit, peel, bud, resin, etcetera, were often used for many different practices and benefits. These historical uses are mentioned here to offer insight as we explore the history of oils and plants. As such, these ancient uses are solely for informational purposes and are not being advocated or recommended by doTERRA. Proceed at your own risk with such uses.

The kumquat tree first appears in written history from the 12th century when it showed up in the Collection of Citrus written by Yanzhi Han. It was the first book of any language devoted specifically to citrus. And was long considered to be the most famous as well as the most influential book ever written on citrus. Based on the current knowledge we have, most of the classifications he made are reasonable, and the kumquat was actually the only mistake with it being wrongly classified as a tangerine.

Native to southeastern China, the English name kumquat comes from the Cantonese words “kam” and “kwat,” which translate to golden orange. And in Cantonese and Mandarin, the name of the tree also sounds like the words for “good luck,” which may be the reason the plant continues to be associated with good luck to this day.

During the Tet or Lunar New Year Festival, it is a tradition for Vietnamese families to put up ornamental plants outside and around their houses to liven up the atmosphere while expressing a wish for good luck, happiness and prosperity in the New Year. One of the main plants of choice to decorate their houses and offices during this festive season is the kumquat tree. Its fruits symbolize the fertility and the fruitfulness that the family hopes will come in the coming year. Greeting cards and good luck symbols are hung on the Tet tree, and it's believed that the more fruits there are on a kumquat tree inside a house, the more luck will come to the owner in the new year.

Although it has been a staple for centuries in Southeast Asian countries like China, Japan, India, and Taiwan, the kumquat wasn't brought to Europe until the mid 1800s. They were introduced to Europe in 1846 by Robert Fortune, a collector for the London Horticultural Society. By 1915, the kumquat was officially separated from the citrus family and given a new botanical name, fortunella, named after Robert Fortune.

From Europe, the kumquat spread across the world and now can be found almost everywhere. In fact, there's even a whole festival celebrating them in the United States. For more than two decades, the kumquat—lovingly known as the “little gem of the citrus industry”—has reigned supreme in Dade City, Florida. Founded in 1971 on Florida's sports coast, Dade City boasts the largest concentration of kumquat growers and product manufacturers in the nation and is home to the annual Kumquat Festival, which celebrates all things kumquat.

We love this bright “little gold gem” and we know it's one you'll love having in your home.

Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you want to try any of the products you learned about, click on the link in the episode description or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today. And remember, if you liked what you heard today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen.