Your body’s cells face threats every day. Viruses and infections attack them. Free radicals also can damage your cells and DNA. Some cells can heal from the damage, while others cannot. Scientists believe molecules called free radicals can contribute to the ageing process. They also may play a part in diseases like cancer, and diabetes. Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that produces free radicals and chain reactions that may damage the cells of organisms. Antioxidants such as thiols or ascorbic may act to inhibit these reactions. To balance oxidative stress plants and animals maintain complex systems of overlapping antioxidants such as glutathione.
Antioxidants came to public attention in the 1990s when scientists began to understand that free radical damage was involved in the early stages of artery-clogging atherosclerosis. It was also linked to cancer, vision loss, and a host of other chronic conditions. Some studies showed that people with low intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables were at greater risk for developing these chronic conditions than were people who ate plenty of those foods.
Antioxidants supplements are popular and commonly considered healthy. In part, this is because fruits and vegetables which are rich in antioxidants are associated with many health benefits, including a reduced risk of disease. The only dietary antioxidants are vitamins A, C, and E. While fruits and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidant vitamins and can be part of a healthy diet.
What are antioxidants?
The term antioxidant is derived from Greek anti; meaning against, and the oxidant meaning a substance that can cause oxidation or is oxidizing in action.
Antioxidants are man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Antioxidants may be defined as substances that when present in food, delay control or inhibit oxidation and deterioration of food quality. Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation. Diets and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants.
Examples of antioxidants include vitamins C and E, selenium, and carotenoids such as beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
What are the health benefits of antioxidation?
- Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help fight oxidative stress and reduce the risk of developing certain diseases.
- Antioxidants nutrients include Vitamins A, C, E, selenium, and carotenoids. Many foods particularly fruits and vegetables contain these vitamins and have antioxidant properties.
- A diet rich in antioxidants may reduce the risk of many diseases including heart disease and certain cancers. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation.
- Each antioxidant serves a different function and is not interchangeable with another. This is why it is important to have a varied diet.
What are the best antioxidants in foods?
One possible reason why many studies on antioxidant supplements do not show a health benefit is that antioxidants tend to work best in combination with other nutrients, plant chemicals, and even other antioxidants.
Vegetables and fruit tend to be packed full of antioxidants. Eating a wide variety of them can help ensure you get a diverse range of different antioxidants to optimize your health. There are hundreds of antioxidants not only in fruit and vegetables but in nuts, seeds, olive oil, and whole grains.
You can get the following antioxidants from these food sources:
- Vitamin A – liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, and egg yolks
- Vitamin C – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
- Vitamin E – almonds, avocado, leafy greens
- Carotenoids – apricots, asparagus, broccoli
- Zinc – beef, oysters, pumpkin seeds
- Selenium – Brazil nuts, fish, shellfish
- Beta-carotene – carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach
- Lycopene – tomato, watermelon, grapefruit.
What happens if you take too many antioxidants supplements?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) warn that high doses of antioxidant supplements can be harmful. If you take the antioxidant supplement in high doses, you could damage your body.
Some antioxidant supplements are:
1.Reduce your exercise performance:
Taking too many antioxidant supplements, especially vitamins C and E can interfere with how your body adapts to exercise and even reduce some of the health benefits of exercise.
2.Increase your risk for some cancers
Several research studies have shown that taking antioxidant supplements like beta-carotene doesn’t reduce the risk of getting many types of cancer. It also doesn’t reduce the risk of dying from cancer. Studies have even shown that antioxidant supplements may even increase the risk of certain cancers. Some can interfere with cancer treatment medications and therapies so check with your doctor before start taking any.
3.Cause birth defects:
Some antioxidants supplements such as Vitamin A may even increase the risk of birth defects if taken in high doses. If you are pregnant always check with your doctor before you start taking any regular supplements.
Advantages of antioxidants:
Dietary antioxidant vitamins comprise vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E besides beta-carotene, lycopene, selenium, and lutein. Some diets that have plenty of antioxidants are connected with the following:
- Digestive function
- Immune function
- Eye health
- Skin health
- Brain function
- Blood sugar stability
- Cardiovascular health
- Prostate health
Different antioxidants do good to our body in various methods. For instance, beta-carotene has massive health benefits for eye health, and skin. Lycopene is good for prostate health and it helps in lessening the signs of BPH. Again, Vitamin C has various health benefits that include the protection of the heart and immune system. Hence, it can be said that antioxidants benefit your health and body in various ways and so you must discover methods for augmenting your consumption of antioxidants. The best method to accomplish this is by incorporating various highly antioxidant-rich foods into your diet.
Conclusion:
Antioxidants are chemicals that help stop or limit the damage caused by free radicals. Your body uses antioxidants to balance free radicals. This keeps them from causing damage to other cells. Antioxidants can protect and reverse some of the damage. They also boost your immunity. Hence, it can be said that antioxidants benefit your health and body in various ways and so you must discover methods for augmenting your consumption of antioxidants. The best method to accomplish this is by incorporating various highly antioxidant-rich foods into your diet.