Effects Of Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that fight the damage caused by free radicals. To understand the effects of antioxidants it is important to know what free radicals are and what they do. Free radicals are reactive molecules produced by everyday chemical reactions in the body. For example, free radicals can be produced by going out in the sun or exercising. Does this mean you shouldn't exercise or go outside? Of course not. Thanks to antioxidants, you can neutralize these molecules, prevent cell damage and even repair sustained damage.


Free radicals are also produced by undesirable activities like cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do to reduce the damage. If you drink alcohol, medical experts recommend no more than one drink per day for women and two for men. Even if you live a healthy lifestyle you still need antioxidants to protect against those free radicals that cannot be prevented.

Antioxidants work by binding together with the free radicals which makes the unable to damage cells. And as mentioned before, antioxidants can repair damage already sustained by free radicals to a certain extent. There are certain antioxidants produced naturally by the body. However you still need antioxidants from food and beverage sources. While most every doctor will approve the use of a daily multivitamin the use of high doses of antioxidant supplements is controversial and may even be harmful. Right now the consensus in the medical community is that the best way to get antioxidants is through natural food sources as there may be other components in the foods that work together for maximum benefit.

There are all kinds of foods and beverages rich in antioxidants. To get the beneficial effects of antioxidants, aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Go for rainbow colored produce like tomatoes, watermelon, red peppers, kale, broccoli, spinach, berries and citrus fruits. Antioxidants can also be found in coffee and tea, especially the green and white varieties. Dark chocolate is also a source of antioxidants but should be consumed in moderation. Even red wine contains antioxidants, however more than one glass per day can negate the beneficial effects. To learn more about antioxidants speak to your doctor or registered dietician.



Free Radicals & Antioxidants


Antioxidants News:

The Beauty Diet treats from the inside out - Houston Chronicle
Researchers conclude it has no beneficial effect and in some cases made matters worse because of allergic reactions to the vitamin. If you put it in your hair and stay inside, nothing will happen, not even with a hairdryer. Outside in the sunlight ...


Antioxidants Appear to Relieve Pain in Chronic Pancreatitis - MedPage Today

Antioxidants Appear to Relieve Pain in Chronic Pancreatitis
MedPage Today, NJ - 12 hours ago
5 -- For patients with chronic pancreatitis, antioxidant supplements compared with placebo led to a significantly greater reduction in painful days per .
Antioxidants May Help Chronic Pancreatitis Patients EndoNurse
Antioxidant "helps relieve pain" Pharmacy Europe
all 3 news articles
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Grape extract kills cancer cells - BBC Health
Within 24 hours, 76% of leukaemia cells exposed to the extract were killed off, while healthy cells were unharmed, Clinical Cancer Research reports. The study raises the possibility of new cancer treatments, but scientists said it was too early to ...


Radical idea: Resveratrol shows intracellular antioxidant properties in normal human fibroblasts
Brooklyn, N.Y . - In recent in vitro testing, resveratrol has shown intracellular antioxidant properties in normal human fibroblasts and, therefore, shows significant promise as a potential photoprotective and ...


Smart Mouth: eat this, not that
All the leftover holiday sweets are in the trash, the new gym membership is activated, and the new diet, well, that's another story...


Inside job: Nutricosmetics help body fight aging from within
A cosmetic medicine expert suggests that nutricosmetics could well be the next big boom in the anti-aging industry...


Extract from Grape Seed Kills Cancer Cells
In an amazing discovery, they found the extract makes the cancer cells commit suicide...


Free Radicals Explained




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