What Are Antioxidants ?
IntoFit | March 9th, 2009 | General Health Tips | 5 Comments »
Have you ever eaten something simply because you’ve heard it’s high in antioxidants? When Pomegranate juice became all the rage, I ran to the store and bought a bottle to try. Same with Goji berries. (Wow! Straight from the Himalaias! Highest percentage of antioxidants in a fruit they claimed!) You bet I bought a bag.
- Antioxidants are good for us, right!? But why? What exactly are they doing that’s so great and magical in our bodies?
- First off lets introduce the antioxidant family. You’ll be surprise to see that they are all vitamins you know and love.
Vitamin A. Vitamin C. Vitamin E. Selenium.
- We need oxygen to keep our blood flowing and our bodies cells working. But when our bodies cells use oxygen, sometimes a by product is formed called a ‘free radical’, these free radicals can cause damage to our cells. Antioxidants are all the rage because they can prevent or slow oxidative damage in our bodies. Hence ’anti’.
- Problems like heart disease, cancer, and muscular degeneration are all contributed by oxidative damage.
It’s important to note that these free radicals can also be produced by outside sources such as sun exposure, stress, alcohol, pollution, cigarettes and unhealthy eating.
- Antioxidants may also increase immune defense lowering risk of things like infections and cancer.
Where can you get antioxidants ?
- Vitamin A - Bright colored fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes.
- Vitamin C – Citrus fruits such as oranges, kiwi, grapefruits, mango and green leafy vegetables.
- Vitamin E – Nuts, seeds, whole grains, liver and vegetable oil as well as leafy greens.
- Selenium - Proteins such as fish, read meat, egg and chicken as well as garlic.
*11348 Steps.
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