ORAC versus Bovis Energy Scale

(ORAC) is an acronym for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. The National Institute on Aging developed this method in Baltimore, Maryland. Many foods have been tested using this method by many organizations. The biggest challenge is in the consistency of how they are tested. Wet and dry measurements will produce different levels of ORAC in the same foods. Because of this, many companies “exploit” this variance to promote their own product. Another factor is that ORAC levels are measured in a laboratory and not in the human body. These variables create many debates as to the effectiveness of this method. I’m not arguing for or against this as a method of measurement in health benefit to us.

Although not widely recognized as much as ORAC, there are other methods of measuring a foods ability to supply the body the essential elements needed to sustain a healthy body. The Bovis Energy Scale is one of those methods. This method was developed by Antoine Bovis, a French Physicist who created this scale while conducting research among the Great Pyramids in the 1930’s.

Quite simply put, the Bovis Energy Scale measures “Natural Earth Energy” in any substances. He created a simple scale of “positively” or “negatively” charged levels in those substances based on a life depleting or life-enhancing scale. From 0 to 6,500 substances are considered “negatively” charged or life depleting. Anything over 6,500 is considered “positively” charged or life enhancing. A healthy human should have a range of 8,000 to 10,000 energy level in their body. The earth itself has an average Bovis Energy Scale rating of 13,000 but can vary depending on several factors.

Shameless plug here!! The Goji Berry, what Chi3 Powered by Goji contains, has a ORAC value of over 25,000 and a Bovis Energy Scale value of over 350,000. Either method you use, the Goji Berry provides life-enhancing “energy” or powerful antioxidant protection.

Oxidation, Free Radicals, and Antioxidants - Simply Put...Finally!

With an aging population, almost everybody you talk to has some form of interest in understanding what these terms mean. When you ask an expert to explain, you’ll most likely get a chemistry lesson that will make your eyes glaze over like a bad hangover. Most of us don’t really understand the chemistry behind why we need antioxidants. We just know we need them to be healthy. But why? I will try to explain, in Lehman’s terms, what each of these terms represent. At a later posting, I will explain the pros and cons of our current systems used to measure the potency of antioxidants in our foods. But for this article let’s just understand what they are. Oxidation is the process of when an atom in an element lose electrons. Examples of oxidation are rust on metal and the browning of fruit after being exposed to air. Now, imagine that on a molecular level in your body. Once that atom loses that electron it becomes a free radical. In an effort to get it’s electron back, it steals from other elements in the body. The element it steals from becomes seriously damaged. Damaged elements in the body can create serious health problems such as cancer and other diseases. That’s it clean and simple. No, how about this explanation? A free radical is the “criminal.” Oxidation is “poverty” (the reason the free radical became a criminal). Antioxidants are “education” (what keeps the poverty and criminal role from ever happening). How’s that?

What’s also important to understand is what causes this whole “breakdown” of the system to happen? In a controlled way, free radicals are normal reactions in the body and are needed to help neutralize viruses and bacteria. It’s when they “flood” the system that problems begin to happen. Environmental conditions such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke, and herbicides contribute to that flood. However, most of us won’t spray herbicides next to a nuclear plant while smoking a cigarette in a polluted part of town. For those that do, sorry about that one but if you go drink some Chi3 (shameless plug there) you should be OK. Antioxidant’s are the “levees” that keep the floods at bay in our system. The USDA recommends that we consume foods that contain 3,000 to 5,000 antioxidants per day. That’s a pretty general standard as there are people that need more and those that require less. How those levels are measured is coming up in our next article. Until then, here’s to your health!!

Life Force Measurement Systems - ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) and Bovis Energy Scale

How many times have we been introduced to a product that makes the claim of changing our lives? How many products, especially in the nutritional supplement industry, have you been introduced to? How many supplements do you take every day? A handful?

Without question, there are supplements out there that have a positive impact on your health. What's in question is are they getting where they need to go and how potent are they? How many times have you watched television or read an article about what's needed for your body to absorb a supplement you're currently taking? How does it feel to know you've been spending thousands every year FOR SOMETHING YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABSORBING? You've got to be kidding me! I'm trying to do something that's good for me and you're saying I might be pissing it out?

How do we know if a supplement is working and getting where it needs to go? There are two measurements systems listed above that determine the "life force" of substances that are trying to answer those questions and provide somewhat of a standard to follow. However, they are not perfect systems and in my later posts I'll explain what they are and the information they provide you. We do however, have our own internal system and most follow it. It's simply, how do you feel? No really, when you take it, drink it, eat it, whatever, how do you feel?

The energy drink market segment understands that internal system and advertises to it heavily. How many new energy drinks have you seen on the market? How many have your tried? I know in my attempts to fight fatigue and push that last drop of productivity out of my poor old body, I've consumed a few. Do I get increased energy? Yes, but at what costs? Everybody has experienced the "jitters." and "freaked out" feelings associated with these drinks. Who knew 98 grams of sugar and the caffeine content of a pot of coffee would reak havic on your system?


Couldn't we just have an energy drink that gives us a nice steady lift in energy that lasts for hours without all the sugar, caffeine, and boat loads of sweeteners for the people making the argument for drinking sugar free energy drinks? Oh, and how about making that product something that improves our health versus detroying our nervous system? Chi3 is that product and I'm happy to say I'm a Marketing Executive for them. This is what we have all been waiting for. I won't bore you with all of the reasons why you should check it out. However, I would recommend that you click on the Chi3 package picture at the top right side of the page to view the clincal trial results of what people experienced. I hope you will allow yourself to experience these results as well. To your health!!