How can you know if you are getting enough nutrition from the fruits and vegetables you eat? What if you are lacking in those all-important antioxidants?

Using laser technology, the brand-new BioPhotonic Scanner gives a read-out of your antioxidant score, using a non-invasive method. In other words, you don’t have to bleed or be stuck with a needle or contribute a urine sample. This method has been deemed safe for people of all ages, and is totally pain-free.

Pharmanex, the company that makes the scanner, is “a leader in research and development of nutritional products,” according to its website.

The device, requiring no medical expertise to operate, measures the antioxidant levels in the tissue of the palm of your hands. A low-level laser is emitted, and the antioxidants in your hand respond to the laser. As their molecules vibrate, they put out a frequency that is detected by the scanner. In less than three minutes your level of antioxidants is revealed, an indicator of the health of your body’s defense system.

The resulting number is called your antioxidant score and some day, just as with your blood pressure and cholesterol, you may track your antioxidants, as well. Typically, scores vary from 1,500 to about 75,000. Those who report eating six or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily score around 25,000.

Armed with your score, you will know if you should increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, or take a nutritional supplement. You can also track your number every 60 days to see if your regimen is working.

The BioPhotonic Scanner was developed at the University of Utah, with collaboration among doctors, physicists and engineers in the Department of Physics and the School of Medicine. It is reported to measure “the major carotenoid antioxidants.”

Carotenoids are the red, yellow and orange pigments found in fruits and vegetables. They are valuable antioxidants, working to fight the free radicals that are thought to cause many chronic diseases, including aging, cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Things that tend to create the negative free radicals in the body include infections, smoking, radiation, stress, high body fat percentage, certain medications, sunlight and pollution.

Antioxidants, the good guys, do not naturally occur in the body, so must be consumed nutritionally. The US Department of Agriculture recommends 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables daily. This is the optimum way for the body to access the antioxidants it needs.

By knowing your antioxidant score, you can see if your body is utilizing your nutritional intake adequately. If not, you may need supplements. Scans can help you determine and monitor your overall antioxidant health.

Scans are done by a network of independent representatives specializing in health education and the distribution of nutritional supplements. For customers of the nutrition products, scans are free. Otherwise, they are $5 each.

Ted Dupee conducts scans locally each month, and will be available at the Panda Inn on Kitsap Way in Bremerton on October 26-27. For further information, contact him at 360-479-1265, or see www.bigweb.net.