Antioxidants Anyone?

Ever thought about free radicals?  Why they do what they do?  How to prevent the damage?

Essentially free radicals are chemically active charged atoms that need to either gain (or lose) electrons to fill their outer electron shells.   They are chemically unstable without a complete outer electron shell.  This instability gives them a strong “chemical urge” as free radicals feel that they “must” have their electrons.   As such, they become scavengers, robbers and thieves.  They will rob, cheat and steal --- do whatever it takes  ---  to obtain the necessary extra electrons to complete themselves. 

This free radical damage is also known as oxidation.  As their name implies, antioxidants are our answer to this damaging (but normal) effects of the physiological process of oxidation in our bodies.   Many vitamins, minerals and enzymes can act as antioxidants but the two key ones that we commonly think of are Vitamin E and Vitamin C.  

We all know that fruits and vegetables provide you with Vitamin C, but what about Vitamin E?  Have you ever thought about what food stuffs hold the richest source of Vitamin E? 

The answer is simple and clear:  freshly milled whole grains.  Sadly, our society commonly uses nuts, seeds and vegetable oils as sources for our Vitamin E.  (Even worse we take it in pill form.)  But, if we would only mill our own wheat, we would find the cheapest, most wonderful source of Vitamin E. 

As you can see, while there are 20.3 mg of Vitamin E in 1 tablespoon of wheat germ oil, the next richest source, sunflower seeds, the next richest source, contains about 1/3 of that amount.  No other food stuff comes close to the Vitamin E concentration in whole grains.

Table 1

Selected Food Sources of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)

Source:  U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Food	Milligrams (mg)/serving	% DV
1 tbsp wheat germ oil	20.3	100%
Sunflower seeds, 1 oz	7.4	37
Almonds, 1 oz	6.8	34
Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp	1.5	8
Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup	1.2	6
Tomato, raw, 1 medium	0.7	4
Spinach raw, 1 cup	0.6	3

Do note the kicker in my previous sentence, however.  The richest source of Vitamin E is in freshly milled whole grains.    The kicker and the key is the fresh milled part due to the fact that Vitamin E in the wheat germ oil is oxidized by exposure to our ambient air.  About 75% of the Vitamin E is oxidized within the first 24 hours after milling and it is all oxidized (rendered useless as a viable antioxidant for use in our bodies) after   4 days.  Maybe that’s why nutritionists do not advocate grains as a good source of Vitamin E. 

But why don’t we simply mill our own wheat?  I suppose it’s lack of knowledge since mills are easily available and it’s certainly faster to mill your own wheat than to dry to the grocery store.  Oh, yes.  Did I mention cheap?  You need a few cups of grains for a loaf of bread and 50 pounds of grains would average you $30.  Pennies per loaf.

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

Hosea 4:6

Milling your own wheat is not only healthy for you, it also makes the best loaf of bread (muffins, cakes, cookies, anything you bake) that you’ll ever eat.  Consider learning more about it.  Talk to me.  Ask me for some wheat and a recipe.  I would be glad to get you started.

The Charge Against Israel

Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,

because the Lord has a charge to bring

against you who live in the land.

There is no faithfulness, no love,

no acknowledgment of God in the land.

There is only cursing, lying and murder,

stealing and adultery;

they break all bounds,

and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Because of this the land mourns,

and all who live in it waste away;

the beasts of the field and the birds of the air

and the fish of the sea are dying.

But let no man bring a chanrge,

let no man accuse another,

for your people are like those

who bring charges against a priest.

You stumble day and night,

And the prophets stumble with you.

So I will destroy your mother ---

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also reject you as my priests;

Because you have ignored the law of your God,

I will also ignore your children.

The more the priests increased,

The more they sinned against me;

they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful.

they feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.

And it will be:  like people, like priests.

I will punish both of them for their ways

and repay them for their deeds.

They will eat but not have enough;

they will engage in prostitution but not increase,

because they have deserted the Lord

to give themselves to prostitution,

to old wine and new,

which take away the understanding of my people.

Hosea 4:1-12