Antioxidants and Free Radicals - The Good and the Bad
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.
Related Tags: antioxidants, nutrition, supplement, radiation, free radicals, antioxidant, pollution, free radical
Carol Stack enjoys writing articles. She lives with her husband and three children in the United States. They have a large yard that they are constantly working on to make more beautiful. Her website, http://www.freegardentips.info covers lawn care, organic gardening, landscaping and more.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl