A woman here at work has just been espousing the use of chamomile/rice popcorn tea as it “reduces the amount of free radicals in the body”, with the aim of reducing the effects of stress.

Is this a thing?

In the same way homeopathy is a ‘thing’, yes.

Ok, I’ll rephrase: is it a legitimate thing

Absolute bollocks.

Reactive oxygen species including free radicals are produced naturally as part of the process that all our cells use to fuel themselves, and cells have all sorts of methods of dealing with any leakage effectively at a molecular level. Fortunately for your colleague her cells keep their processes well locked away from any intervention involving things like ‘popcorn tea’ so the only reduction effect it’s going to have is on her bank account.

(Oxidative stress, some of the agents of which are free radicals, is a thing, and it’s closely related to aging and cancer and all sorts of bad stuff. Drinking tea does **** all to affect it though. If you’re interested in this sort of thing Nick Lane is an excellent writer on the subject.)

Yes and no. Free Radicals are a real thing and they are naturally occurring in your body. Whilst I think they can have some harmful effects they also have some uses.

Drinking “special tea” to reduce them will probably only help to lighten your wallet.

That’s what I thought 😆

Always the same story when scary science term meets hippies 🙂

Scientific bollocks but if it calms her and makes her feel less stressed probably a very cost effective treatment until she actually has to deal with the root cause of the stress. So in other words leave her be

Scientific bollocks but if it calms her and makes her feel less stressed probably a very cost effective treatment until she actually has to deal with the root cause of the stress. So in other words leave her be

This is a very good point too! I was a bit blunt up there. I think the lady in question is being a bit daft but that’s no excuse for being mean, so: I apologise if I’ve offended anyone who likes chamomile tea. I quite like chamomile tea too, it’s nice… 🙂

The trouble with chamomile tea is that it contains Dihydrogen Monoxide

Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

So in other words leave her be

I wasn’t going to say anything. I agree with you to an extent mike.

The trouble with chamomile tea is that it contains Dihydrogen Monoxide

Only if you drink it.

I eat mine. Better safe than sorry I say.

Also gives you an excuse for anything you want to get up to, perhaps beating the free radicals from your system while at your desk 🙄

I think the radicals should be free. We don’t live in a police state.

I love Free Radicals. When I went Technical Interview for Zeneca in Macclesfield I was asked about the Free Radical Chlorination of Methane. I knew it off by heart and aced it, I’ve seen the other questions they could have asked I knew none of them.

19 years later I have a pretty good job in Pharmaceuticals ( with very little chemistry ) still live in Macclesfield and the location is the primary reason I started mountain biking.

Plus the Flamming lips have a good song about them

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwlC0QWxj88[/video]

Absolute bollocks.

I don’t know, Get What You Give was pretty good.

in other words leave her be

I knew underneath that beard and bolster there was a nice guy hiding away.

🙂

Bolster?

Bluster?

Bravado?

Something like that…

Nah just that if tea stops them whinging let her have it…

went bust in ’14 now called Dambuster!

Somebody will be along in a minute to tell you all about the benefits of paying £15 so you can have …
“P” Radicals.

chamomile/rice popcorn tea as it “reduces the amount of free radicals in the body”, with the aim of reducing the effects of stress.

A good test of these claims is whether the claim is actually made on the packet. A lot of the marketing of any kind of ‘super food’ has to be done through news stories because there a far laxer requirements for news to be factually correct than there are for an advert or on the label on the packet. Many food manufacturers get around this by making very vague claims like ‘an excellent source of anti oxidants’ on their packet or ad without making any claim as to whats ‘excellent’ about that. Then they can bung out press releases left right and centre making any claim you like about “wheat being the new superfood” “sugar being a cure for cancer” or whatever and know the press will print / broadcast them without any scrutiny.

Cougar stole my joke.

I wouldn’t worry, I don’t think anyone got it… (-:

Ahh Cougar / Mattbee, novel way of looking at it and all, but were those radicals truly free?

I wouldn’t worry, I don’t think anyone got it… (-:

It made me smile. 🙂