Health Information

What is oxidation in the body? This is the process during normal cell metabolism, where highly reactive compounds called Oxygen Free Radicals are created. They travel through cells, disrupting the structure of other molecules, causing cell damage. Every day, the cells in our body wage a battle against these free radicals that are believed to contribute to  cancer, heart disease, the effects of aging, and more. The job of the antioxidant therefore is to protect components of a cell from oxidative damage. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals, convert them to harmless substances, absorb them or attach to them before the free radicals can attack normal tissues, destroy cellular proteins or enzymes, or even cause DNA mutations leading to cancer.

How many antioxidants should we be consuming daily?

The USDA researchers suggest a daily intake at the minimum of 3,500 antioxidant points. The average person consumes about 1,400 antioxidant points daily. There is a huge gap between what we should be consuming and what we are actually consuming.

 ORAC: Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. This is a testing method developed by the USDA to measure the ability of a substance to absorb free radicals.

Are Healthy Fruit Chews a replacement for Fruits and Vegetables for my kids?

EAT FRUIT. You get many more good things out of fruits and vegetables than just their antioxidant value (fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc.) but Healthy Fruit Chews are a great addition or supplement to your diet. They are welcomed (sometimes begged for!) by kids, easy to eat and carry around (when a head of broccoli just won't fit in your purse), and you will feel better knowing that the treat you are eating actually has significant health benefits.

The ingredients used Healthy Fruit Chews were used in studies by Dr. David Bell of Indiana School of Medicine to determine positive effects on the cardiovascular system, and by Dr. Elliot Blumenthal of Purdue to study antiviral effects and immune-enhancing activity. More studies are continuing at other major research centers.