Antioxidants are substances that can protect your cells from damage. There are many types of antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and selenium. Antioxidants help fight free radicals, unstable molecules that damage cells. Free radicals can be formed when you exercise strenuously or when you breathe in smoke (from cigarettes or wildfires). Antioxidants can help prevent inflammation in the body, which is linked to cancer and chronic diseases. You should be eating foods with antioxidants every day.
Antioxidants are substances that can protect your cells from damage.
Antioxidants are chemicals that can help protect your cells from damage. They are substances that protect your body against damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can cause illness and disease. Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells.
Free radicals are a natural byproduct of the body's metabolism and normal processes like breathing and exercising, but they can also come from outside sources such as pollution or radiation exposure. When these free radicals latch onto other molecules in your body, they cause damage to cell membranes and DNA--and this can lead to all sorts of health problems including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
Antioxidants can prevent this damage from happening by neutralizing these free radicals, by donating an electron to the free radicals. This stabilizes the molecule and stops it from causing further harm.
A lot of research suggests that increasing your intake of antioxidants may help protect against certain diseases. In fact, many studies have found that people who eat diets rich in fruits and vegetables are less likely to develop heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses.
There are many types of antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and selenium.
Some examples of antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E; selenium; coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10); alpha lipoic acid; flavonoids such as quercetin found in fruits like apples or berries; resveratrol found in red grapes.
While antioxidants are found in many foods, they’re especially abundant in colorful fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that protects cell membranes from free radical damage. You can find it in seeds (particularly sunflower seeds), nuts or vegetable oils such as olive oil or safflower oil.
Beta-carotene is a carotenoid pigment found in orange fruits and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and squash; buttery yellow corn; green leafy vegetables like spinach; red peppers; tomatoes; melons such as cantaloupe or watermelon; egg yolks from pastured chickens raised without hormones or antibiotics
Selenium is a trace mineral that’s important for immune function and thyroid health. You can find it in seafood such as oysters, crab or lobster; meat from pastured animals; nuts like almonds or hazelnuts; seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds; whole grains such as oats, brown rice and buckwheat.
Free radicals can be formed when you exercise strenuously or when you breathe in smoke (from cigarettes or wildfires).
Free radicals are molecules that can damage cells. They can be formed when you exercise strenuously, or when you breathe in smoke (from cigarettes or wildfires). Free radicals also form naturally in the body as a result of normal metabolic processes.
Some free radical damage is useful; it helps get rid of harmful chemicals and pathogens, but too much of it causes problems like aging and cancer. Antioxidants help protect against this excessive formation of free radicals by neutralizing them before they do any damage to your cells or DNA.
The antioxidants in your diet help protect against free radical damage. Free radicals can be formed when you exercise strenuously, or when you breathe in smoke (from cigarettes or wildfires).
Antioxidants can help prevent inflammation in the body, which is linked to cancer and chronic diseases.
Antioxidants can help prevent inflammation in the body, which is linked to cancer and chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke and diabetes. A diet high in antioxidants may also reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness).
The best way to get antioxidants is through food--they're found in fruits and veggies such as berries, oranges, leafy greens and tomatoes; legumes such as lentils or black beans; nuts like almonds or walnuts; seeds like pumpkin seeds; whole grains like oats or quinoa; and salmon, mackerel and other cold-water fish. Selenium is a trace mineral that helps protect cells from damage by free radicals.
You should be eating foods with antioxidants every day.
Antioxidants are found in foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. They can be found in many other foods as well. Antioxidants are also concentrated in colorful fruits and vegetables--blueberries, tomatoes and red peppers have a high antioxidant content.
Nuts, seeds and oils contain antioxidants too!
Antioxidants are different from other vitamins and minerals in that they do not provide the body with any direct nutritional value. Instead, these chemicals help prevent or repair damage caused by oxygen molecules called free radicals. The more colorful your diet, the better.
Conclusion
Antioxidants are one of the most powerful tools that you have to protect your body from disease. They help fight free radicals and inflammation, which are both linked to cancer and other chronic conditions. You can get antioxidants by eating a healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables every day--or even better yet, take supplements!
