It's
easy to add natural antioxidants to your diet to help prevent aging
and disease
Antioxidants and Free Radicals - The Good and the Bad
by Carol Stack
Free Radicals
- Damaging our Bodies from Within
Even young
people can be victims of unsuccessful aging if they are not
providing their bodies with the necessary balance of having enough
dietary antioxidants to fight off the free radicals. To understand
the value and importance of antioxidants, you must first understand
the destructive results of free radicals.
What are free
radicals? Scientists have found that the body forms unstable oxygen
molecules, called free radicals; every cell produces tens of
thousands of them each day.
Free radicals
are produced within the body every single day from the different
chemical reactions which happen in each individual part of our
bodies. Free radicals are produced outside of the body as well,
reaching us through sunrays, toxic chemicals in our drinking water,
second-hand as well as first-hand smoke, unhealthy foods, bacteria,
viruses, radiation, and pollution in general.
The cells of
our bodies are now increasingly subject to damage from free radicals
due to the high levels of environmental toxins in our diet and the
reduced levels of antioxidants in our food to combat free radical
damage.
What are
Antioxidants?
Antioxidants
are nutrients that help to lower the amounts of free radicals in
your body by providing them with the oxygen molecule that they are
missing and making them stable. Quite simply put, at the molecular
and cellular levels, antioxidants serve to deactivate these free
radicals.
In order to
bolster the body's defense mechanism, and to counter this activity
by free radicals, a lot of research is being done to study how the
quantity of antioxidants can be included in the diet or added
through a dietary supplement.
In light of
the role free radicals play in the onset of aging and disease, it is
important to ensure our diets include a rich and diverse supply of
antioxidants to improve the health of our cells throughout our
bodies and to protect our cells from the ravages of oxidation. But
what are some of the best natural sources of antioxidants?
Great Sources
of Antioxidants
Blueberries -
Some of the healthiest fruits are berries, and blueberries are one
of the top quality berries containing plenty of antioxidants while
maintaining lower sugar content then most other fruits.
D, Chief of
the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston is
working with blueberries to examine their potential to help improve
motor skills and reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with
aging.
Other fruits -
Delicious fruits that are at the top of the antioxidant chart
include strawberries, blackberries and grapes, besides blueberries.
Garlic -
Garlic is a terrific source of antioxidants. Eating more garlic (in
raw or cooked forms) is associated with a lower incidence of heart
disease because of its antioxidant properties.
Extra virgin
olive oil - This oil is another source of antioxidants. There is
also significant data to indicate it may also lower blood pressure,
reduce the risk of heart disease and aid in the fight against colon
cancer.
Conclusion
Recent studies
have indicated that the antioxidants in fruit provide a whole host
of health benefits: the anti-aging power of blueberries and the
joint pain relieving properties found in cherries to name two.
This world is
full of good, wholesome foods that are high in antioxidants. We just
need to eat them.
About the
author: Carol Stack has written numerous articles. She lives in the
United States with her husband, three children, and various dogs and
cats. Carol and her sister Barbara have combined forces to produce a
website that focuses on healthy and nutritious foods and recipes.
You can visit it at:
http://www.healthyrecipesandmore.com
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