{"id":103,"date":"2026-08-03T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/?p=103"},"modified":"2026-08-02T22:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T14:22:19","slug":"why-do-antioxidants-matter-to-your-health-and-how-can-you-check-your-score","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/why-do-antioxidants-matter-to-your-health-and-how-can-you-check-your-score\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Antioxidants Matter to Your Health, and How Can You Check Your Score?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You have probably seen the word antioxidant<\/strong>\u00a0on fruit juices, supplements, skincare products, teas, and brightly coloured food labels. It sounds important, but it is often explained as if antioxidants were a single magic ingredient that could protect us from everything.<\/p>\n

The reality is more useful and less dramatic.<\/p>\n

Antioxidants are part of the body’s wider defence system against oxidative processes. Carotenoids are one group of dietary compounds with antioxidant activity, and some of them can be measured non-invasively in the skin. A PRYSM iO finger scan uses light to estimate your skin carotenoid level and converts it into a PRYSM Score.<\/p>\n

That score can provide a baseline and help you watch for trends. It is not a complete health score, a diagnosis, or a measurement of every antioxidant in your body.<\/p>\n

What are antioxidants?<\/h2>\n

Your cells naturally produce reactive oxygen species during ordinary processes such as metabolism, exercise, and immune activity. These molecules are not automatically “bad.” They are involved in normal cell signalling and defence.<\/p>\n

Problems may arise when reactive molecules exceed the body’s ability to regulate and repair their effects. This imbalance is commonly described as oxidative stress<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The body responds through a network of protective enzymes and other antioxidant defences. Nutrients and plant compounds from food can also participate in these pathways. Examples include vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.<\/p>\n

This does not mean that taking more and more antioxidants produces better health. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that antioxidants in unusually large amounts may not always be beneficial, and high-dose supplements should not be treated as a simple substitute for a varied diet or professional advice.<\/p>\n

The better starting question is not, “How can I take the most antioxidants?” It is, “Am I building a varied and repeatable eating pattern that provides them naturally?”<\/p>\n

Why focus on carotenoids?<\/h2>\n

Carotenoids are pigments made by plants and other organisms. They help give foods such as carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, leafy greens, watermelon, papaya, and red or yellow peppers their colour.<\/p>\n

After you consume carotenoids, some circulate in the blood and accumulate in tissues, including the skin. This makes skin carotenoid status interesting as a non-invasive nutritional biomarker.<\/p>\n

In a study of 108 Korean adults, skin carotenoid measurements were positively correlated with serum carotenoid concentrations and with recorded fruit and vegetable intake. The relationships were meaningful but not perfect. For example, the correlation with fruit and vegetable intake was moderate rather than one-to-one.<\/p>\n

That distinction matters. A skin carotenoid reading can offer a useful clue about carotenoid status and dietary patterns, but it cannot reconstruct everything you ate or explain your whole state of health.<\/p>\n

How can you know your antioxidant score?<\/h2>\n

Antioxidant status is not something you can accurately judge from how you feel or from one healthy meal. One practical way to gain a measurable reference point is through a PRYSM iO finger scan.<\/p>\n

The quick, non-invasive scan estimates carotenoid levels in your skin and converts the result into a PRYSM Score. It does not measure every antioxidant or provide a complete assessment of your health, but it can give you a useful baseline to follow over time.<\/p>\n

Product-specific validation has reported a positive relationship between PRYSM scores and serum carotenoid levels.<\/p>\n

What can your PRYSM Score tell you?<\/h2>\n

Used appropriately, the score may help you:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • establish a personal skin carotenoid baseline;<\/li>\n
  • see whether your score changes across repeated measurements;<\/li>\n
  • start a more concrete conversation about food variety and daily habits;<\/li>\n
  • turn an invisible nutritional marker into something easier to notice;<\/li>\n
  • stay curious about consistency instead of relying only on memory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    For a busy working woman, that feedback can make nutrition feel less abstract. Rather than wondering whether a new routine is making any difference, you have one measurable marker to follow over time.<\/p>\n

    What can the score not tell you?<\/h2>\n

    Your PRYSM Score does not:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • measure every antioxidant in your body;<\/li>\n
    • provide a complete assessment of diet quality;<\/li>\n
    • diagnose oxidative stress, nutrient deficiency, or disease;<\/li>\n
    • prove that one food or supplement caused a change;<\/li>\n
    • replace blood tests, medical evaluation, or professional advice;<\/li>\n
    • define whether you are healthy or unhealthy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      It is also not helpful to compare your number competitively with somebody else’s. Individual biology, dietary patterns, smoking, body composition, measurement conditions, and other factors may influence skin carotenoid readings.<\/p>\n

      The most useful comparison is usually your own trend under reasonably consistent conditions.<\/p>\n

      How should you use your score?<\/h2>\n

      1. Begin with a baseline<\/h3>\n

      Treat the first result as a starting point, not a verdict. One scan gives you a number. Repeated measurements give you context.<\/p>\n

      2. Follow the device instructions consistently<\/h3>\n

      Finger placement and pressure can affect the scanning process. Use the same device correctly and follow its preparation instructions each time.<\/p>\n

      3. Give habits time to become patterns<\/h3>\n

      Do not expect one salad, one juice, or one supplement dose to transform the result. Skin carotenoid status reflects more than a single meal. Focus on repeatable choices over time.<\/p>\n

      4. Keep food at the centre<\/h3>\n

      Build variety rather than chasing one “superfood.” Across the week, include different vegetables and fruits that you genuinely enjoy and can access regularly.<\/p>\n

      This might mean leafy greens with lunch, tomato in a cooked dish, papaya or berries with breakfast, pumpkin in soup, or carrots and peppers added to a familiar meal. The goal is not to eat every colour at every meal. It is to create more variety across your normal routine.<\/p>\n

      5. Interpret the score in context<\/h3>\n

      If the number concerns you, do not diagnose yourself or make large supplement changes based on the scan alone. Discuss your diet, medications, supplements, symptoms, and health conditions with an appropriately qualified professional.<\/p>\n

      Is a higher score always better?<\/h2>\n

      A higher skin carotenoid score generally reflects a higher measured level of carotenoids in the skin. It should not be translated into “higher score equals perfect health.”<\/p>\n

      Health is influenced by many factors that the scanner does not measure: sleep, movement, strength, medical conditions, stress, food adequacy, alcohol and tobacco exposure, social support, and more.<\/p>\n

      Think of the PRYSM Score as one dashboard light, not the entire dashboard.<\/p>\n

      A practical way to use the number<\/h2>\n

      The real value of a score is not the moment you receive it. It is what the number helps you notice.<\/p>\n

      Maybe you realise that vegetables appear only at dinner. Perhaps your busiest workdays rely heavily on convenience foods with little variety. Or you may discover that your everyday routine is more consistent than you thought.<\/p>\n

      Use the result to choose one practical experiment. Add one fruit you enjoy to breakfast. Include two vegetable choices at mixed-rice lunch. Prepare one colourful option for your busiest day. Then follow the trend without turning the score into another source of pressure.<\/p>\n

      Antioxidants matter, but no single nutrient, food, supplement, or device can summarise your health. PRYSM iO offers one non-invasive way to make skin carotenoid status visible. The responsible way to use it is with curiosity, consistency, and context.<\/p>\n

      If you would like to know your PRYSM Score, contact Vern Lai to find out more about the finger scan and what your result may mean in the context of your everyday habits.<\/p>\n

      This article provides general wellness education, not medical or nutritional diagnosis. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making significant supplement changes, especially if you take medication, smoke, are pregnant, or manage a health condition.<\/p>\n

      Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n
        \n
      1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. “Antioxidant Supplements: What You Need To Know.” https:\/\/www.nccih.nih.gov\/health\/antioxidant-supplements-what-you-need-to-know<\/li>\n
      2. Ahn S, et al. “Validation of resonance Raman spectroscopy-measured skin carotenoid status as a biomarker for fruit and vegetable intake in Korean adults.” British Journal of Nutrition<\/em>, 2023. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/37184085\/<\/li>\n
      3. Ermakov IV, et al. “Optical assessment of skin carotenoid status as a biomarker of vegetable and fruit intake.” Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics<\/em>, 2018. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29601824\/<\/li>\n
      4. Riggs M, et al. “Validation of a New Non-invasive Personalized RS-Skin Carotenoid Scanner (Prysm iO) versus the BioPhotonic Scanner S3 RRS Device for Estimating Carotenoid Levels in Humans.” Food & Nutrition Journal<\/em>, 2026. Funded by NSE Products, Inc. https:\/\/www.gavinpublishers.com\/article\/view\/validation-of-a-new-noninvasive-personalized-rsskin-carotenoid-scanner-prysm-io-versus-the-biophotonic-scanner-s3-rrs-device-for-estimating-carotenoid-levels-in-humans<\/li>\n
      5. Nu Skin. “Prysm iO Consumer Edition.” Product information accessed August 2026. https:\/\/www.nuskin.com\/us\/en\/product\/prysm-io-consumer-edition<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        You have probably seen the word antioxidant\u00a0on fruit juices, supplements, skincare products, teas, and brightly coloured food labels. It sounds important, but it is often explained as if antioxidants were a single magic ingredient that could protect us from everything. The reality is more useful and less dramatic. Antioxidants are part of the body’s wider…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-body-awareness-metabolism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106,"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103\/revisions\/106"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vernlai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}