Antioxidants help prevent aging by stopping free radicals from damaging body cells

Antioxidants Antiaging

by R. Drysdale

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If you're paying attention to current media coverage of health issues, you're probably hearing a lot about antioxidants antiaging and healthy diet. This is because research on aging is discovering more and more that the rate at which our bodies age is directly influenced by the food we eat and the environmental conditions we are exposed to. In an age where we are slowly coming to terms with the damage done by diets high in fats and sugars, we are being told that a very different diet is the way to attain something very precious to most of us - long and healthy life.

Antioxidants prevention against aging is all about stopping "free radicals" from doing damage to our body cells and tissues. Free radicals are molecules that are produced inside cells in the body where metabolic processes are constantly in process. Free radicals are oxidants - they are molecules, usually containing oxygen, that are highly reactive and that will interact with many parts of cells and tissues to cause damage. Think of a freshly cut slice of apple left for a few moments on the plate. The cut surface quickly turns brown. It is oxidizing, reacting with oxygen in the air. You might say it's aging rapidly. An antioxidant, such as Vitamin C found in citrus juices, will protect the apple from oxidation. In the body, antioxidants antiaging activity proceeds in a similar fashion.

For body tissues, antioxidants prevention against aging results from the fact that these molecules react with free radicals to produce stable molecules that do not subsequently react with body cells. The human body produces some of its own antioxidants but many more are obtained from the foods we eat. Beneficial antioxidants are not all the same, nor are they all available in the same foods. Antioxidants antiaging properties are greatly enhanced when a variety of foods are eaten that contain these beneficial molecules. Unfortunately for the "meat and potatoes" crowd, the best sources of antioxidants are in brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

If you want antioxidants antiaging benefits as you grow older, learn to love fruits and vegetables: broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, squash, berries, apricots, and pink grapefruit - if it looks colorful on your plate, it's almost sure to be a great source of antioxidants. Nuts are a good source as well. Some minerals, such as selenium, are antioxidants and these may be found in other sources, such as seafood.

Antioxidants prevention against aging is truly best obtained from a healthy and varied diet: research suggests that high doses of antioxidants can be as harmful as insufficient amounts. This is particularly true when the intake is a concentration of particular antioxidants rather than a variety - a typical situation when a dietary supplement is being used for its anti oxidants antiaging benefits. If you choose to take an antioxidant supplement, be sure to choose one that has antioxidants from a range of different sources. Personal habits, such as smoking, impact on the safety of antioxidant supplements as well. If in doubt, consult your doctor or a qualified nutritionist before taking any dietary supplement on a regular basis.

About the author: R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. You can learn more about antioxidants antiaging on the AntiAging Information site.