The Benefits of Antioxidants
An Antioxidant is a molecule which occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables. This molecule helps to prevent oxidation, which can help prevent heart disease. It can also help reduce the deterioration of vision and mental health as a result of aging while also helping reduce the consumer’s risk of cancer. Oxidation can harm cells, so having antioxidants such as vitamin c within the body helps to terminate harmful chemical reactions. There are two main types of antioxidants, one of which helps the body, while the other is used as a preservative on some products.
How Do Antioxidants Work?
Antioxidants are a common piece of conversation among nutrition experts and consumers. Rightfully, they’ve gained their fame as a natural and safe way to promote good health and prevent harmful diseases. Antioxidants pack a punch to harmful chemical reactions within the body, and play a key role in the overall wellness of the consumer. They help prevent chemical reactions like oxidation, which can create free radicals within the body.
Free radicals are highly reactive molecules, due to their odd number of electrons, which causes them to incite a chain reaction. This effect causes damage to proteins, molecules, and genes within the body. It is important to maintain healthy levels of Amino Acids.
The human body is a proverbial battleground for free radicals and antioxidants, as they are both naturally produced within it. Unfortunately, many consumers are simply unaware that their levels of antioxidants is often insufficient to “defeat” the large number of free radicals which the body produces. It is vital to maintaining good health that consumers look to foods and supplements as sources of antioxidants.
How Do Antioxidants Benefit Your Health?
Antioxidants are part of any heart-healthy diet. Antioxidant supplements are highly beneficial for preventing heart disease, largely due to their ability to regulate the LDL, “bad” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol can cause the buildup of plaque within the heart. When a free radical reacts with LDL cholesterol, it forces the cholesterol accumulate against the artery walls, eventually turning into plaques. With this comes intense pressure on the heart. Eventually the artery may become completely blocked, causing heart failure. Studies show that consumers who eat fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants have a lower risk of heart disease.
Antioxidants help prevent free radicals from damaging cells throughout the body, but many people don't realize that they can actually help protect your DNA as well. Free radicals can damage cells causing alterations to the cell’s DNA. This can result in some serious problems such as the formation of cancerous tumors. People who eat antioxidant-rich foods are shown to be at lower risk for certain types of cancer, because they eliminate free radicals. Foods that have proven to be especially helpful for fighting cancer are tomatoes carrots, oranges. Tomatoes have shown to reduce rates of prostate cancer in men because they contain the carotenoid lycopene. Other carotenoids, which are proven to be the most effective for fighting cancer, can be found mostly in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, as a rule of thumb.
Patients with Diabetes can reap enormous benefits from fitting antioxidants into their diet. Because high blood sugar speeds the production of free radicals, antioxidants are perhaps even more crucial to these individuals. Free radicals are likely the cause of many diabetic-related complications like loss of vision, damage to the nerves and nervous system, as well as kidney failure. Antioxidants are beneficial to help alleviate some of these symptoms. Studies have shown that patients who use antioxidant supplements can relieve some of the discomfort related to their diabetes. Good sources of antioxidants to help treat diabetes are turmeric, onions, apples, and red wine. These specific antioxidants can also help reduce risk of diabetes for non-diabetics.
Antioxidants will help defend brain cells against age-related decline. Old age can bring about some devastating issues for the person’s overall condition, usually can be attributed to cell damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are also seen as one of the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, as it incites the clumping of proteins within the brain. Getting extra antioxidants and Vitamins C and E, seem to be the best guard against age related decline when it comes to dieting. Of course, living an active lifestyle and eating right seem to be equally important.
Final Word On Antioxidants
Antioxidants are commonly found in some of our favorite fruits and vegetables. As common as they are, they are generally not understood for their health benefits. By preventing oxidation in the body, antioxidants provide one of the bodies greatest defense mechanisms against deterioration. Oxidation affects all parts of the body and the mind. Rampant free radicals can damage cells and even alter their DNA, causing a chain reaction of bad cells, creating complications in all parts of the body. Getting a steady supply of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables is a vital mode of defence for the body, and can make or break your overall wellness. Getting plenty of antioxidants will help make you more active, give you better mental focus, and even prevent harmful disease.