You know what mama always said: “make sure you take your anti-oxidants!” Not really. Mom may have reminded you to take your vitamins and minerals, but she may not have known about the damage free radicals can do or how to prevent that damage.
Free radicals cause “oxidation deterioration.” In short, they cause damage at a cellular level. This damage can come from stress, pollutants in the environment, food that is not good for you, or various diseases and illnesses. This damage can cause anything from aging (perhaps earlier than you should) or other problems like cancers and Parkinson’s disease.
A free radical takes an electron from another molecule, which makes it unstable. That molecule, in turn, will take an electron from another molecule. Eventually, the whole cell will become damaged. This process may lead to broken cell membranes, which will alter what enters and exits the cell. The damaged molecules could also mutate and grow tumors or change the DNA code.
You can prevent this damage by taking or eating antioxidants. Antioxidants give electrons, while free radicals seek to take an electron away.
Antioxidants neutralize that free radical from doing damage. Many people know that colorful fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants, but there are essential oils that also contain these life-enhancing molecules.
Essential Oils You Need
I always make sure my essential oils are high-quality, so recently I’ve been using SenseLab essential oils. The best part of these oils is that they are food safe, which makes me feel good about using them when I make dinner. I rather use Oregano essential oil than regular oregano seasoning from the grocery store. Using oregano essential oils helps protect you from free radicals. It’s also a natural antibiotic!
High Antioxidant Essential Oils
Some of my favorite antioxidant essential oils have a high ORAC score (that means that they are high in antioxidants).
Two of them I make sure I always have on hand are Myrrh and Frankincense. Both of these were actually gifts to our Lord Jesus at his birth so you know they must have been important! The Magi knew how prized these herbs were, even back then. Not only are Myrrh and Frankincense excellent antioxidant essential oils, but they are also antiseptic and great to diffuse during prayer.
Another great essential oil is clove, which is both high in antioxidants and great for sore teeth. It’s also a great one to mix with other oils like cinnamon and orange in your diffuser during the fall and winter season. Smells like Christmas!
While most people will stick with more “well-known” essential oils like peppermint and lavender essential oils, which are both great for allergy season, I really think Vetiver should be in everyone’s health arsenal. SenseLab reported that “significantly inhibited DNA damage, clastogenic effects and cell cycle arrest in the bone marrow cells of mice that were given cisplatin (Vetiver) for five consecutive days.” That’s impressive!
SenseLab knows how important antioxidants are. For your convenience, they made an entire page of their website just for antioxidant essential oils. Check that out here.
For a more complete list of oils with exact ORAC scores, please check out the list from the blog, There’s an EO for That.
Remember to keep your health your number 1 priority in 2019.
Disclaimer: We received products from SenseLab for the purpose of product testing and review. All opinions are my own. For more information, please click here to read our policy.
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