Antioxidants Fight Free Radicals

Free radicals are a fact of life. They can be in everything we consume, including the food we eat, water we drink, and even in the air we breathe. They are found in chemicals, bacteria, parasites, and just about everything we can see and touch. They can damage and literally destroy our good cells, which can lead to serious diseases.

Scientific tests have shown that free radicals can cause symptoms of liver and lung damage, accelerated aging, cancers, heart disease, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and a number of other destructive changes to the body.

Antioxidants can actually neutralize these free radicals. By neutralizing these rogue molecules, antioxidants work to protect us from diseases and harmful elements which can be devastating to our health. Ideally, you would consume them through raw/uncooked plants such as fruits, vegetables, and sprouts. Cereal Grasses (Barley, Wheat, Kamut, Oat) and algaes (Spirulina, Chlorella), along with fresh, raw juices are considered the absolute best antioxidants.

When you know you are not eating enough of these natural nutrients, the antioxidant supplements beta carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E are recommended as part of your daily diet. Their benefits also help boost your immune system, which lessens your chances of cancers and other diseases. This is not to say that antioxidants, in either supplemental form or natural food form, will in fact prevent any kind of disease. They will not. But, your chances of being healthier and living longer can be much greater if you keep your immune system strong and reduce the amount of free radicals that mutate your cells.

Antioxidant Vitamin Benefits

One of the major benefits of antioxidant vitamins is that they neutralize the free radicals in our body.

What are free radicals? Well, to name a few, free radicals are responsible for degenerative diseases, cancers, heart disease, and poor immune systems. They (free radicals) destroy the good cells in our body.

What are antioxidant vitamins? They include vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene. Other than the above supplementals, natural antioxidants include flavonoids, organosulfurs, isoflavones, and sterols.

If you eat a good balanced diet everyday, you should get a good supply of each and every one of these antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. How many of us eat a good, well balanced diet everyday? This is where supplements help us. When you take antioxidant supplements on a daily basis you are more likely to get the proper amount you need. Your body becomes stronger and less likey to fail you in fighting off many diseases and disorders.

Aside from fruits and vegetables, some flavonoids give the same benefit of antioxidant vitamins. These flavanoids can be found in tea (both green and dark), dark chocolate, apples, onions, red wine and red grape juice.

This is not to say that by taking antioxidant supplements (nor flavanoids) daily will guarantee you excellent health. They are a preventative measure. With constantly giving your immune system a boost, you are less likely to contract diseases and disorders that break down your body.