Free radicals are chemicals that are produced through normal metabolic processes that have the ability to "rip" electrons away from the molecules in the walls of your cells as well as essential proteins such as DNA. What's more they tend to be produced in excess with intense activities like body building. If they are not "mopped up" by what have been called natural and supplemented antioxidants the free radicals can lead to many health problems i.e.

Accelerated Aging,
Cancers ,
Heart Disease,
Arthritis,
Autoimmune Disorders,
Alzheimer's,
Cataracts,
Etc.

One of the main free radicals to be concerned about is a natural biochemical called Superoxide.

This free radical in early life is kept in check, so to speak, by naturally produced biochemicals also called "free radical scavengers" such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione which have a tendency to decline with age. This decline accelerates the aging process because the free radical load rises steadily unchecked unless one's diet is supplemented with antioxidants.

Examples of antioxidants commonly used are: vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase.

In 1994 a Tufts University scientist, Dr. Guoha Cao, developed a new and powerful method for determining the antioxidant capacity of common foods. This test came to be known as the ORAC assay* (which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity which measures a foods free radical fighting capacity). ORAC assays have become the most sensitive and reliable method for determining a food's capacity to deal with free radicals.

Below I give a list of some common foods and their corresponding ORAC** levels (the higher level is equivalent to greater efficacy):

Ningxia Wolfberry 303

Chinese Wolfberry 202

Acai 184

Pomegranate 105

Prune 57

Blackberry 51

Boysenberry 35

Plum 28

Red Raspberry 27

Strawberry 26

Orange 24

Cherry 21

Garlic 19

Kale 18

Spinach 12

Broccoli florets 9

Beet 8

Apple 3

Carrot 2

The Ningxia wolfberry is, according to Tufts, the highest known antioxidant food source. What is even more interesting is that it is also highly endowed with protein as it contains about 15.6% protein by weight and has more protein than Bee Pollen***.

As a result it makes Ningxia Wolfberries an ideal source of protein and antioxidants for body builders.

The Chinese national census has also recently reported that the number of Ningxia (Ningxia Province is where Ningxia Wolfberries are harvested) residents living more than 100 years exceeds the national average by an amazing 400%

My personal experience with Ningxia Wolfberries came with an amazing product that changed my life dramatically. Over 7 years ago I was doing a great deal of body building and was trying to restrict myself to vegetable protein sources but found that I was neither able to maintain my energy level nor my routine. I was sensitive to whey products and was loath to supplement with egg albumin because of a family history of heart disease so I was in search of a safe natural product that would not only help build muscle but also address energy and antioxidant concerns. The two products I found were from Young Living. They were 1. Power Meal and 2. NingXia Red Juice.

Both contain the Ningxia Wolfberry that only Young Living now has the rights to.

After only a month of being on each of these I found my energy levels, my strength and my muscle bulk changed dramatically. Other benefits that I experienced as well included improved eye sight and enhanced over all well being.

References:

*Gary Young N.D., Discovery of the Ultimate Superfood, Essential Science Publishing, July 2005

**Gary Young N.D., Discovery of the Ultimate Superfood, Essential Science Publishing, July 2005

***Gary Young N.D., Discovery of the Ultimate Superfood, Essential Science Publishing, July 2005