As I have stated many times, many functional beverages, tout their antioxidant strength with incredible “ORAC” values.  They get these high numbers by spiking their products with either extracted nutrients, or freeze dried ingredients, allowing them to “scientifically” prove an exceptionally high ORAC score inside their bottles.

Flavonoids are a family of some 5,000 plant compounds that have a common chemical structure called polyphenols.  Flavonoids have antioxidant activity in test tube experiments because they can effectively scavenge free radicals.  Scientists thought that Flavonoids would do the same inside the body.  So, the more polyphenols you had in your bottle, and the higher your ORAC score, the more free radicals you would scavenge inside the body.  Scientists now know this is not true, and here’s why:  Following ingestion, flavonoids undergo a change in chemical structure due to exposure to stomach acid and enzymes.  Very little whole flavonoid reaches the target organs and an even smaller amount actually gets inside the cell.  The digested parts of the flavonoids (metabolites) have even less antioxidant activity than the parent (whole) compound, and again, very little gets into the cell.  For these reasons the contribution of dietary flavonoids to antioxidant function in the body is very small and physiologically negligible.(2-4) Bummer!

So why consume Eiro?  Let me quote Balz Frei, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University.  “Cells can respond to a variety of stresses or signals by increasing or decreasing activity of cell-signaling pathways.  These pathways regulate many processes,  including cell growth, and removal of damaged cells.  Although it was originally assumed that flavonoids exert antioxidant effects in the body, it has become increasingly clear that instead they modulate cell-signaling pathways.(3)

Inside cells, the concentration of flavonoids needed to affect cell-signaling mechanisms is much lower than that needed to affect cellular antioxidant capacity.  The results of many laboratory experiments suggest that flavonoids may selectively inhibit a group of cell-signaling enzymes called kinases, which are important in maintaining normal cell function.”(1)  By selectively inhibiting kinases, flavonoids may lower chronic disease risk.(3)

Do the flavonoids of Eiro modulate cell-signaling pathways?  How do you think we were able to show a statistical significant rise in SOD (super-oxide dismutase) levels.  Forget ORAC!  Modulation of cell-signaling pathways is what is significant inside the cells, and Eiro already has its proof.

References:

1.  Frei, B.  PhD, Director, Linus Pauling Institute, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.   Controversy:  What are the True Biological Functions of Superfruit Antioxidants?  2009-04-01.

2.  Lotito SB, Frei B. Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods and increased plasma antioxidant capacity in humans:  cause, consequence, or epiphenomenon?  Free Radic Biol Med. 2006;41:1727-1746.

3.  Williams RJ, Spencer JP, Rice-Evans C.  Flavonoids: antioxidants or signaling molecules?  Free Radic Biol Med. 2004;36:838-849.

4.  Frei B, Higdon JV.  Antioxidant activity or tea polyphenols in vivo: evidence from animal studies.  J Nutr. 2003;133:3275S-32845S.