Antioxidants

Antioxidants seem to be stressed more and more these days as important elements to maintain good health and prevent disease as well as the aging process. This is the case simply because as we discover more and more about what foods are not only good for us but great for us to maintain health and even help us to heal, we naturally tend to look deeper at these foods – super foods to see exactly what it is inside them that gives them this power.

There are many elements that could be said are the basis for the makeup of a true but a big factor in this equation is antioxidant properties. So what are antioxidants exactly? Oxidation itself is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Now the important key here that relates to human health is that oxidation reactions can produce free radicals which start chain reactions that damage cells and cause oxidative stress.

Oxidation is itself is not necessarily bad, as it is an important aspect of life itself. It is a bit of a paradox really, as most life on our planet requires oxygen for its very survival. And yet, oxygen is a highly reactive molecule that damages living organisms by producing something called reactive oxygen species which can have numerous harmful effects such as causing damage to various types of cellular activity like DNA for example.

So since we know that oxidation reactions can be damaging, especially in their ability to damage and even kill cells, how do we assist our bodies to increase its levels of antioxidant properties? Well, there are many dietary supplements out on the market today that we can take to increase the antioxidant levels in our bodies, so this is one way. Antioxidants come in all shapes and sizes, from various vitamins like (ascorbic acid) vitamin C & (tocopherol) vitamin E, uric acid to various enzymes produced by our bodies as well as by plants and animals like catalase and peroxiredoxins.

Increasing these types of naturally occurring antioxidants in our bodies will help to increase our health and reduce our susceptibility to degenerative diseases. Besides taking specifically formulated antioxidant supplements, eating healthier, in general, is a simple and yet highly effective way to increase our intake of antioxidants. Eating super foods high in antioxidant properties such as carrots, tomatoes, oranges, broccoli, blueberries, green leafy vegetables (have you noticed that all of these foods have bright colors?) nuts, seeds, vegetable oil, and flaxseed oil as well for example is the best way in my opinion because quite simply… it’s the most natural way.

Eating right by adding high antioxidant content super foods like these into your daily diet will keep you healthy and disease free. Harness the power of antioxidants through natural God-given super foods and you can’t go wrong. Supplements are great, but remember everything that we need is supplied for us here in abundance on earth already.