An Overview Of Antioxidants
Antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients found in food. They protect the body and the immune system from free radicals, which are harmful molecules produced in the body. Free radicals are caused by oxidative processes in the body such as the burning of sugars for energy, the release of digestive enzymes to break down food and the processing of environmental pollutants.
A “free radical” is a molecule or an atom that has at least one and perhaps more unpaired electrons. This makes it extremely unstable and reactive to other atoms or groups of atoms and this can lead to an obstruction of the cells ability to function typically. Free radicals can begin cell damage, which can lead to the increase of age-related conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
Antioxidants go to work by matching up with the unpaired electron thereby neutralizing the free radical. Antioxidants can also put off the oxidation in the first place. In this process of neutralization the antioxidant will become oxidized itself so therefore antioxidants need to be constantly replaced. Preventing harm from oxidation is critical, however, preventing oxidation entirely is not viable because oxidation is a ordinary process of living and it cannot be avoided.
Common foods that we have everyday give us with antioxidants. Vitamin C comes from citrus fruits and strawberries. Vitamin A and carotenoids are found in pumpkin, butternut squash and other deep orange foods. Vitamin is found in nuts, seed and whole grains. Selenium comes from eggs, chicken, red meat, fish and shellfish. A mixture of phytochemicals including flavonoids and polyphenols can be found in soy, red wine, grapes, cranberries and green tea. Lycopene is from tomatoes and watermelon and Lutein comes from deep green vegetables similar to spinach and kale. Lignan can be found in whole grains like oats and barley and additionally in flaxseeds.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and Glutathione are antioxidants that are comparable to vitamins and the body also makes enzymes with antioxidant qualities called superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase.
Because of the widespread proof from the past few years about the benefits of antioxidants, many antioxidants are now obtainable in supplement form. These supplements range from reasonably safe, such as vitamin C tablets to out-and-out hazardous. No single antioxidant is beneficial to the body as the value comes from the synergy between the nutrients.
The safest and by far the best way to get your antioxidants is through the intake of a healthy diet, consisting of a diversity of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and fish. The USDA recommends 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and even more may be better. Most fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense and low calorie so there are no fears of gaining excess weight and eating fruits and vegetables to get your antioxidants poses no risk to your body as opposed to some supplements.
The deep colors in foods often show the levels of antioxidants so eat colorful foods, purple blueberries, red grapes and red tomatoes, deep green spinach and kale, orange oranges and pumpkins and more. Think about eating many different colors everyday for the highest antioxidant intake.