Today we begin the evolution and creation of Patagonia Maqui. We are a group of dedicated professionals that have banned together to bring the amazing nutritional benefits of the Maqui berry to the world! Centrally located in Santiago, Chile with a distribution center in Dallas, Texas, we are strategically positioned to meet the delivery demands of clients spanning the globe.Scientifically known as Aristotelia chilensis, The Maqui is a purple berry that grows wild on trees in Chile, South America only. Their range of growth is finite and starts as far north as Santiago, Chile and stretches down into the southern region of Patagonia. The Maqui berry grows on trees that are very picky about where they grow and require unique climate conditions to thrive that consist of dry, more arid weather conditions and peculiar acidic soil conditions. In order to survive these harsh growing conditions, the Maqui tree has adapted special survival traits that allow it to thrive in the harsh environment.
QUESTION 1: Why is this important?
ANSWER 1: There is a law of nature that sometimes helps to balance the natural order of human and biological life force on Earth. It is the same law that give blind bats the ability to internalize sonar for navigation. It is the same law that gives poisonous insects and reptiles vivid colors to fend off wary predators. This is mother nature's law and it is a ubiquitous doctrine that has a way of balancing nature's often harsh realities of life. Often times, the survival of the fittest can produce some of the world's most rare and precious gifts if discovered.
One of these survival traits of the Aristotelia chilensis tree is the production of "phytochemicals". These compounds are found in certain fruits and vegetables and have become a hot topic in the scientific community lately. Ongoing studies point to the likely benefits that can be derived from consumption that may include host of health benefits including;
> Possible Weight Loss properties (Thermogenic Qualities)
> Possible Cardiovascular benefits
> Possible Immume System benefits
> Possible Anti-Aging benefits
> Possible Anti-Inflammatory benefits
* We are currently conducting our own scientific research of this amazing superfood and will be posting results later in this blog. We have already discovered preliminary results that point to the fact that the Maqui berry has the highest known ORAC value of all the other super fruits in the category of botanicals. Over the next several months, we intend to publish other scientific research results that will be made known on this blog.
QUESTION #2: What is ORAC?
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. It was developed at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland. A wide variety of foods have been tested using this methodology, with certain berries and legumes rated very highly. Correlation between the high antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables, and the positive impact of diets high in fruits and vegetables, plays an important role in the Free-radical theory of aging.
Until recently, the industry standard with regards to measuring the ORAC value of fruits and vegetables has been primarily focused on a fruit's potential ability to nuetralize peroxyl free radicals. However the future standard for evaluating and testing free radical nuetralization is called "Total ORAC". Brunswick Labs has a Total ORAC test that is currenlty patent pending that is assesed by measuring against the top 5 most abundant and dangerous free radicals which are hydroxyl, peroxyl, peroxynitrite, singlet oxygen, and superoxide anion. These top 5 free radicals are implicated in a wide range of different roles that cause oxidative stress and can lead to health problems and disease states. These include glycation, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and many specific conditions that cascade from these systemic problems.
The Total ORAC test provides both the individual radical ORAC results as well as a potential performance rating of the total ORAC value of a food or botanical across all of the top 5 radicals.
When comparing ORAC data, care must be taken to ensure that the UNITS and FORMAT of the fruit being compared are similar. Some evaluations will compare ORAC units per grams dry weight, others will evaluate ORAC units wet weight and still others will look at ORAC units/serving. Under each evaluation and depending upon the format of the fruit (such as freeze dried powders, concentrates, raw puree's,etc...) different fruits can appear to have higher ORAC values. Although a raisin has no more antioxidant potential than the grape from which it was dried, raisins will appear to have a much higher ORAC value per gram wet weight than grapes due to their reduced water content. Likewise, watermelons large water content can make it appear as though they are very low in antioxidants. To say then that chocolate has "more antioxidant" potential than blueberries is tenuous at best. While ounce per ounce chocolate may have a higher ORAC value, on the comparison of dry weight, we see blueberries have a higher ORAC value. Additionally, considering the ORAC value per calorie could be of some utility, as understanding just how much antioxidant potential one could incorporate from a fruit product into one's diet would determine the real utility of the product.
There has been a huge following of irresponsible marketers whom have attempted and succeeded in fooling the general public by implying a product's ORAC value per gram or serving, is equal to that of one or more of the product's raw ingredients. (such as a concentrated fruit powder or juice) This is completely misleading and absolutely false as the raw ingredient will almost certainly be diluted, mixed with other ingredients, and nutrionally compromised from the manufacturing process to create the product. In this regard, various fruit product marketers would have you falsely believe that their finished product's ORAC values are the same as their original raw ingredients.
ANSWER 1: There is a law of nature that sometimes helps to balance the natural order of human and biological life force on Earth. It is the same law that give blind bats the ability to internalize sonar for navigation. It is the same law that gives poisonous insects and reptiles vivid colors to fend off wary predators. This is mother nature's law and it is a ubiquitous doctrine that has a way of balancing nature's often harsh realities of life. Often times, the survival of the fittest can produce some of the world's most rare and precious gifts if discovered.
One of these survival traits of the Aristotelia chilensis tree is the production of "phytochemicals". These compounds are found in certain fruits and vegetables and have become a hot topic in the scientific community lately. Ongoing studies point to the likely benefits that can be derived from consumption that may include host of health benefits including;
> Possible Weight Loss properties (Thermogenic Qualities)
> Possible Cardiovascular benefits
> Possible Immume System benefits
> Possible Anti-Aging benefits
> Possible Anti-Inflammatory benefits
* We are currently conducting our own scientific research of this amazing superfood and will be posting results later in this blog. We have already discovered preliminary results that point to the fact that the Maqui berry has the highest known ORAC value of all the other super fruits in the category of botanicals. Over the next several months, we intend to publish other scientific research results that will be made known on this blog.
QUESTION #2: What is ORAC?
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. It was developed at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland. A wide variety of foods have been tested using this methodology, with certain berries and legumes rated very highly. Correlation between the high antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables, and the positive impact of diets high in fruits and vegetables, plays an important role in the Free-radical theory of aging.
Until recently, the industry standard with regards to measuring the ORAC value of fruits and vegetables has been primarily focused on a fruit's potential ability to nuetralize peroxyl free radicals. However the future standard for evaluating and testing free radical nuetralization is called "Total ORAC". Brunswick Labs has a Total ORAC test that is currenlty patent pending that is assesed by measuring against the top 5 most abundant and dangerous free radicals which are hydroxyl, peroxyl, peroxynitrite, singlet oxygen, and superoxide anion. These top 5 free radicals are implicated in a wide range of different roles that cause oxidative stress and can lead to health problems and disease states. These include glycation, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and many specific conditions that cascade from these systemic problems.
The Total ORAC test provides both the individual radical ORAC results as well as a potential performance rating of the total ORAC value of a food or botanical across all of the top 5 radicals.
When comparing ORAC data, care must be taken to ensure that the UNITS and FORMAT of the fruit being compared are similar. Some evaluations will compare ORAC units per grams dry weight, others will evaluate ORAC units wet weight and still others will look at ORAC units/serving. Under each evaluation and depending upon the format of the fruit (such as freeze dried powders, concentrates, raw puree's,etc...) different fruits can appear to have higher ORAC values. Although a raisin has no more antioxidant potential than the grape from which it was dried, raisins will appear to have a much higher ORAC value per gram wet weight than grapes due to their reduced water content. Likewise, watermelons large water content can make it appear as though they are very low in antioxidants. To say then that chocolate has "more antioxidant" potential than blueberries is tenuous at best. While ounce per ounce chocolate may have a higher ORAC value, on the comparison of dry weight, we see blueberries have a higher ORAC value. Additionally, considering the ORAC value per calorie could be of some utility, as understanding just how much antioxidant potential one could incorporate from a fruit product into one's diet would determine the real utility of the product.
There has been a huge following of irresponsible marketers whom have attempted and succeeded in fooling the general public by implying a product's ORAC value per gram or serving, is equal to that of one or more of the product's raw ingredients. (such as a concentrated fruit powder or juice) This is completely misleading and absolutely false as the raw ingredient will almost certainly be diluted, mixed with other ingredients, and nutrionally compromised from the manufacturing process to create the product. In this regard, various fruit product marketers would have you falsely believe that their finished product's ORAC values are the same as their original raw ingredients.
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