Anti-Oxidants
January 30, 2009
Every now and then you hear about them when health foods are discussed. They get rid of free radicals, fight signs of aging and even prevent cancer. They are no super drugs. They are antioxidants. Here is a little something about these wonderful chemicals.
They are…
You need oxygen to live. However, some highly reactive oxygen compounds cause destructive reactions in the body. These bad guys are called free radicals. They stimulate reactions that destroy proteins, good fats and even DNA. They are cancer-causing and aging.
Our body fights off these free radicals with the help of anti-oxidants. Vitamin A, C, E,B6, B12, folic acid, polyphenols like resveratrol and falavonoids, carotenoids like lycopene and carotenes are known anti-oxidants.
Their function is…
Anti-oxidants have shown to be effective in fighting off cancer and other signs of aging like arthritis in some studies. However, some other studies show some different results. Therefore, we are yet to decide as to the extent of effectiveness of anti-oxidants in fighting cancer and aging. However, it will certainly do no harm to include a little of these vitamins into your diet.
Their natural sources are…
Antioxidants are pretty easy to find. Fruits and veggies are the number one sources, whereas you can find them in abundance in berries and beans also.
Tomato juice, mango, carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, beef liver and pumpkin are great sources of Vitamin A. Spinach, snow peas, broccoli, mango, tomato juice, grapefruit, orange, strawberries, as well as red bell peppers have oodles of Vitamin C.
You can get vitamin E from wheat germ, polyunsaturated plant oils, sunflower seeds, avocado, shrimp, sweet potato and cod. Seafood, meats and grains are sources of selenium.
Watermelons, bananas, broccoli, tomato juice, potatoes, spinach, white rice and chicken breast have lots of vitamin B6, whereas meats, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and shellfish are rich in Vitamin B12.
Folic acid is found in green beans, tomato juice, spinach, broccoli, lady’s finger and black eyed peas.
You can find them in the form of supplements also…
If you cannot manage to have a good lot of these healthy veggies, you can add some antioxidants power through supplements. However, the jury is still out on how effectively they are absorbed.
Besides beta-carotene, you can consume loads of antioxidants without any fear of overdoing it.
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