So much hype surrounds a group of compounds contained in food known as antioxidants. Word is that they can do a lot, such as fighting diseases, protecting the memory and preventing aging. They are natures method of fighting off potentially harmful molecules found in the body. Such molecules come in synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, chlorine byproducts and plastics. Below is an overview of the importance of an antioxidant diet.
Antioxidants help in stalling oxidation, a normal body chemical process that occurs every day. Alcohol, tobacco smoking and stress can accelerate the process. Should a disruption in the normal oxidation process occur, highly unstable and potentially damaging molecules called free radicals are formed. Oxygen triggers this formation of such destructive chemicals, leading to body cell damage if left unchecked.
Should the production of free radicals exceed the protective defenses of the body, oxidative stress can take place. When combined with cell damage resulting from free radicals, such oxidative stress can trigger the initial cancer and heart disease stages. They can also trigger the development of other diseases the likes of cataracts, kidney disease, Alzheimers disease and diabetes.
The human body has its own defenses against such damage. It creates antioxidants for combating the free radicals as well as protecting the cells from being attacked by oxygen. They can safely interact with the radicals and halt the chain of damaging prior to the damage happening to the cells. These helpful molecules can be gained from the diet that a person consumes.
Some vitamins such as vitamins E and C are antioxidants, together with minerals like manganese and selenium. There are plant compounds like lycopene and carotene that also act as antioxidants. Many foods that can be included in a diet are good antioxidant sources. The main thing to bear in mind is that they are primarily found in plant foods. Manganese and selenium are found in seafood and meats in small quantities, but plant foods are the primary food antioxidant source.
There is a wide variety of antioxidants systems, but it has not yet been figured out how the different systems in human bodies work together to offer protection against free-radical damage. No single antioxidant is capable of providing the protection offered by the numerous antioxidants working together.
An ideal way of incorporating various antioxidants into a diet is through consumption of foods representing all the colors of a rainbow. Each color has its own unique antioxidant effect. Deep bright orange and yellow fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots and sweet potatoes provide one antioxidant type, while red fruits like tomatoes provide another kind. Green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage as well as blue or purple ones like blueberries and eggplant each have antioxidants packages.
Decreasing the risks of various diseases like the heart disease and cancer forms a basis of the importance of an antioxidant diet. The ideal such diets are inclusive of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. By coming up with a diet that is rich in all the above mentioned food, a person can be assured of protection from some diseases together with a lesser chance of contracting others.
Antioxidants help in stalling oxidation, a normal body chemical process that occurs every day. Alcohol, tobacco smoking and stress can accelerate the process. Should a disruption in the normal oxidation process occur, highly unstable and potentially damaging molecules called free radicals are formed. Oxygen triggers this formation of such destructive chemicals, leading to body cell damage if left unchecked.
Should the production of free radicals exceed the protective defenses of the body, oxidative stress can take place. When combined with cell damage resulting from free radicals, such oxidative stress can trigger the initial cancer and heart disease stages. They can also trigger the development of other diseases the likes of cataracts, kidney disease, Alzheimers disease and diabetes.
The human body has its own defenses against such damage. It creates antioxidants for combating the free radicals as well as protecting the cells from being attacked by oxygen. They can safely interact with the radicals and halt the chain of damaging prior to the damage happening to the cells. These helpful molecules can be gained from the diet that a person consumes.
Some vitamins such as vitamins E and C are antioxidants, together with minerals like manganese and selenium. There are plant compounds like lycopene and carotene that also act as antioxidants. Many foods that can be included in a diet are good antioxidant sources. The main thing to bear in mind is that they are primarily found in plant foods. Manganese and selenium are found in seafood and meats in small quantities, but plant foods are the primary food antioxidant source.
There is a wide variety of antioxidants systems, but it has not yet been figured out how the different systems in human bodies work together to offer protection against free-radical damage. No single antioxidant is capable of providing the protection offered by the numerous antioxidants working together.
An ideal way of incorporating various antioxidants into a diet is through consumption of foods representing all the colors of a rainbow. Each color has its own unique antioxidant effect. Deep bright orange and yellow fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots and sweet potatoes provide one antioxidant type, while red fruits like tomatoes provide another kind. Green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage as well as blue or purple ones like blueberries and eggplant each have antioxidants packages.
Decreasing the risks of various diseases like the heart disease and cancer forms a basis of the importance of an antioxidant diet. The ideal such diets are inclusive of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. By coming up with a diet that is rich in all the above mentioned food, a person can be assured of protection from some diseases together with a lesser chance of contracting others.
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