Antioxidants Facts!
This article was originally published in the November 2004 issue of Zone Net
Supplementing your diet with extra antioxidants is crucial to our bodies and our immune systems during times when we are more likely to come into contact with cold or flu viruses in packed shopping malls or other public places . Just what exactly are antioxidants? Well, antioxidants are essentially natural compounds that protect our bodies from free radical damage to our cells. This destructive process is called oxidation. Just like many metals oxidize and then rust, our own bodies tend to do Click here to read the rest of this article ... OPC-3™, also known as oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) is made from a combination of grape seed, pine bark, red wine extracts, and also bilberry and citrus extracts. OPC-3™ is thought to be a free radical neutralizer or antioxidant. It is also thought to support the circulatory system and strengthen capillaries. Antioxidants are a chemical compound or substance that are thought to prevent cellular damage. Organic substances such as vitamin E, vitamin C, or beta carotene, for example, are thought to protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals can form when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Free radicals Click here to read the rest of this article ... |
Syndicating Antioxidants Resources...
News From Around the Globe
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Get back to the basics - eat fresh at home and neutralize free radical oxidation, which is rusting away your body, by eating a variety of foods high in antioxidants every day.
Why? Antioxidants, as the name implies, help prevent oxidation, may help increase immune function and possibly decrease risk of infection and cancer.
A few of the better known antioxidants include carotenoids-- the substance that gives fruits and vegetables their deep rich colors. Apricots, broccoli, pumpkin, cantaloupes, spinach and sweet potatoes, are some good choices in addition to lycopene in tomatoes. Click here to read the rest of this article ... The Challenge of Free Radicals to Your BodyYour body is under constant attack--not only from pathogens of all kinds--but also, at the molecular level, from "free radicals." Free radicals are unstable molecules that result inevitably from the oxidation of nutrients in your body to produce energy. If they are not effectively counteracted, they systematically damage the cells of your body. This accelerates aging and can ultimately lead to many chronic degenerative diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cataracts, and arthritis.Just as your immune system defends your body against various kinds of pathogens, your main defense Click here to read the rest of this article ... Antioxidants are an important supplement to anyone's diet because they prevent the bodily damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are the most common cause of tissue damage and free radicals have been linked to every known disease by more than 6000 scientific studies. Free radicals are molecules that are over-reactive because they are unbalanced electronically. In an attempt to become balanced they rob electrons from the molecules that make up the cells in your body, damaging or destroying them. In addition, free radicals damage cell structure and reduce the cell's ability to function.Controllable amounts of free radicals are formed Click here to read the rest of this article ... |
Antioxidants Hot Tips: How Antioxidant Prevents Aging?
Because Knowledge IS Power...
| Antioxidant Prevents Aging What are antioxidants? Antioxidants are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage, the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases. The scientific community has begun to unveil some of the mysteries surrounding this topic, and the media has begun whetting our thirst for knowledge. Why are athletes so keen on Antioxidants? Athletes have a keen interest because of health concerns and the prospect of enhanced performance and/or recovery from exercise. The purpose of this article is to serve as a beginners guide to what antioxidants are and to briefly review their role in exercise and general health. What follows is only the tip of the iceberg in this dynamic and interesting subject. What Causes Aging? Scientists have discovered that the metabolic rate of animals is related to their life span. Therefore, larger animals do not consume as much oxygen per unit of body mass as smaller animals, and larger animals live longer. Consequently, researchers believe that aging is connected with oxygen metabolism and involves free radicals. Thus, the faster oxygen is consumed by an organism, the more free radicals it might make. Antioxidant Role Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principle micronutrient (vitamin) antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Additionally, selenium, a trace metal that is required for proper function of one of the body's antioxidant enzyme systems, is sometimes included in this category. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients so they must be supplied in the diet. What Vitamins Contain High Antioxidants? Vitamin E: d-alpha tocopherol. A fat soluble vitamin present in nuts, seeds, vegetable and fish oils, whole grains (esp. wheat germ), fortified cereals, and apricots. Current recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 15 IU per day for men and 12 IU per day for women. Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin present in citrus fruits and juices, green peppers, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, cantaloupe, kiwi, and strawberries. The RDA is 60 mg per day. Intake above 2000 mg may be associated with adverse side effects in some individuals. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A (retinol) and is present in liver, egg yolk, milk, butter, spinach, carrots, squash, broccoli, yams, tomato, cantaloupe, peaches, and grains. Because beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A by the body there is no set requirement. So, remember to take the right vitamins in order to maintain optimum health! Antioxidant supplements is the easy way to ensuring that our body is getting sufficient supply of antioxidants! Everyone has heard the news about antioxidants and their importance to good health and proper nutrition. It seems the more scientists learn about antioxidants, the more their value and potential increases. Antioxidants have shown promise in everything from preventing heart disease to slowing the degeneration of the eyes and brain. Antioxidants work in a fairly straightforward way. What makes them so effective is their ability to neutralize a group of highly reactive, highly destructive compounds known as free radicals. The production of free radicals is a normal bodily process, and it is part of the process of breathing and living. Free radicals are normally neutralized by the body's natural defense system, rendering Click here to read the rest of this article ... Everyone has heard the news about antioxidants and their importance to good health and proper nutrition. It seems the more scientists learn about antioxidants, the more their value and potential increases. Antioxidants have shown promise in everything from preventing heart disease to slowing the degeneration of the eyes and brain. Antioxidants work in a fairly straightforward way. What makes them so effective is their ability to neutralize a group of highly reactive, highly destructive compounds known as free radicals. The production of free radicals is a normal bodily process, and it is part of the process of breathing and living. Free Click here to read the rest of this article ... |
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