Monday, October 19, 2009

Everything you Need To Know About Antioxidants

By Bryan J Hooper

There is lot of talk about the fitness benefits of antioxidants in the news and in current health studies. And while that might be attention-grabbing news, some of you may be wondering what antioxidants are and what they accomplish. Are there various types of antioxidants? How do we obtain a sufficient amount of them in the food that we eat? And how does eating a diet high in antioxidants srenghthen our bodies capability to defend against free radicals?

Free radicals are disabled by the use of antioxidants. Thes free radicals are reactive molecules that steal electrons from our cells causing severe damage to them. We are in a never ending battle with the free radicals,and their levels increase when we are exposed to injury, polution, illness, and stress.
Recent studies have also linked the free radicals damage to accelerated aging and other health problems. In order to protect ourselves we need to take more antioxidants to fight off the increased exposure to the free radicals that we encounter every day.

Vitamins C and D, and slenium and beta carotene are examples of some of the most powerful antioxidants. By combining all of them together you can create a powerful immune system and effectively destroy the free radicals. Our body produces a few enzymes that feed on the free radicals, but they are not enough control all of the free radicals that are introduced to our bodies. We dont manufacture antioxidants in our bodies, therefore we need to consume foods that are high in antioxidants like fruit and vegetables.

Vitamin A is an antioxidant that is good for the immune system and it defends the fatty tissue and cell membranes.
A vitamin also helps your teeth and bones.Foods that have a high concentration of vitamin A are cheese,
liver,and eggs.

Carotenoids lower the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer, and help to strengthen the immune system. They are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, kale, spinach, tomatoes, and pink grapefruit.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which supports the immune system and the cardiovascular system.Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which supports the immune system and the cardiovascular system. Good sources include citrus fruits and juices, green peppers, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, cantaloupe, kiwi, and strawberries.

Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant by itself, but is magnified when it is ingested with other antioxidants such as vitamin C, selenium, and beta carotene. Good sources include nuts, seeds, fish oils, whole grains, and apricots.

In the body, Flavonoids enhance the beneficial activities of vitamin C and can help support a healthy immune system.
They are found primarily in vegetables and fruits,dark chocalate, as well as black or green teas.

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