What are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are natural substances found mainly in vegetables, fruits, nuts and spices that really help prevent or reduce oxidation which occurs on the cellular levels. They do this by removing “” free radicals “”, which, if left alone could oxidize cells – ultimately causing inflammation and chronic diseases like diabetes, joint diseases, atherosclerosis, cancer, dementia and degenerative eye diseases. These harmful chemicals also accelerate aging.
What are Free Radicals?
Free radicals are atoms or molecules with the unpaired electron inside an atom’s covering. Being chemically unstable, they may be highly reactive and in a position to cause destruction of cells within the body. Some researchers assume that aging occurs because cells accumulate molecular damage after some time.
The main allies to excess free radicals in your body are eating an incorrect food, stress, pollutants, smoking, over experience ultra violet light and unwanted organisms.
The intake of certain medications and chemotherapy are linked to molecular formation in your body.
Foods high in poisons include oil and fats (when heated to temperature like in frying) overcooked meats and processed meats.
Eating excessive sugary foods that creates the blood glucose levels to spike might also lead to an increase in this harmful chemical in your body
How Antioxidants Prevent Chronic Diseases and Aging?
Antioxidants prevent aging by neutralizing and removing free radicals within the body responsible for causing problems for body tissues. In doing so, support prevent or reduce the impact of chronic diseases and also growing older.
Are all Antioxidants precisely the same?
Though mit role of antioxidants by the body processes are quite similar, some antioxidants are acknowledged to provide amazing benefits to specific areas of the body. For examples: flavonoids protects one’s heart; beta carotene protects your eye area; lycopene benefits the prostrate gland; and, proanthocyanidine promote urinary tract health
It can also be well established that some antioxidants are definitely more powerful inside their actions as opposed to others. For example food astaxanthin is reputed being 500 times stronger than Vitamin E.
Sources of Antioxidants
The food sources for antioxidants are the following:
a) Vegetables – carrots, tomatoes, broccolli, spinach, kale, antichoke, sweet potatoes, beetroot and cilantro
b) Fruits – blue berries, grapes, cranberries, elderberries, black berries apples, water melon, wolfberry and citrus fruits
c) Nuts and Seeds – pecans, walnuts, peanuts, kidney beans and flaxseed
d) Beverages – wine, green tea leaf, cocoa
e) Spices – clove, turmeric, cinnamon, oregano, basil and ginger
The foods as listed above are not exhaustive but indicate a lot more popular ones that have been rich in antioxidants.
Supplements
Vitamins A, C and E are one of the well known antioxidants as you move the trace elements selenium, zinc and copper are recognized for supporting the anti-oxidizing system in your body.
Other antioxidants that happen to be popular because of their heath benefits include:
a) Curcumin- protection against cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart diseases and arthritis
b) CoQ10 – helps those that have heart problems, Parkinson’s Disease, hypertension and chronic fatigue syndrome.
c) Glutathione – helps your body produce enzymes, detoxification, digestion of fats and destruction of cancer cells.
d) Lutein and Zeaxanthin – prevents cataracts and macula degeneration
e) Quecetin- supports the guts, fights chronic fatigue syndrome and arthritis
f) Astaxanthin- lessens the chronic effect of diseases including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure
Are Supplements Necessary?
Getting your antioxidants from natural sources is much better due to the complex combination of phytonutrients available from fruits, vegetables, nuts and spices that you can not get from supplements. However, if getting these effective nutrients from natural sources is a concern or if specific antioxidants are required for managing certain medical problems, supplements can nevertheless be of much help.
Conclusion
I hope these tips have given that you simply good summary of antioxidants as well as the role they play in preventing annd healing chronic diseases.
