Chicken with Rosemary

I remember when I was studying for my master’s degree in food science and we were in the lab working on an experiment, testing different foods and their antioxidant properties. One thing I found particularly fascinating was rosemary. We were measuring oxidation in chicken samples prepared with and without rosemary, and the difference was striking. The meat with rosemary was noticeably better protected against oxidation. At the time, it was simply an interesting scientific observation. Looking back now, with my own experience of living with lipedema, that moment has taken on a different meaning.

In the lab we talked about reactive oxygen species, or ROS. These are highly reactive molecules that are formed naturally in the body as a by-product of normal metabolism, but also increase with factors such as chronic inflammation, stress, infections, pollution, smoking and a highly processed diet. In small amounts, ROS are not only normal, they are necessary. They help immune cells kill pathogens and participate in cell signalling. The problem arises when their production becomes too high or when our defence systems are too weak. Then we shift into oxidative stress: a state where ROS start damaging lipids in cell membranes, proteins, DNA and the delicate structures in our tissues.