How Do Antioxidants Work And What Foods Contain Antioxidants?

Have you ever wondered how do antioxidants work? Much research has been carried out on the action of antioxidants on free radicals, and the role of antioxidants on healthy aging. So how exactly do antioxidants benefit us and which foods containing antioxidants should we eat?

How Do Antioxidants Work Against Free Radicals

Antioxidants scavenge the free radicals that are produced by oxidative processes in the body. Oxygen, which is so vital to life, is also a key component in the aging process. In the same way that iron rusts when exposed to air, the body degenerates as a result of free radicals that are formed when when oxygen is burned in the body to create energy.

Free radicals are formed during the oxidation process when atoms lose electrons; since the free radical is highly reactive, it quickly combines with an electron from another atom initiating a cascade of events. Free radicals are also formed in the body in situations where infection or inflammation occurs, and under environmental conditions such as smoking and pollution from radiation, pesticides and insecticides. So, the answer to "how do antioxidants work"? is: Antioxidants provide a buffering effect to free radicals. They give up an electron to the free radical, but they remain stable themselves, thereby stopping the chain reaction. Free radicals accelerate the natural process of aging through oxidative stress, and antioxidants combat free radicals.

Foods Containing Antioxidants

Antioxidants should be included in the daily diet as part of a healthy eating plan for healthy aging, since oxidation is a natural process continuously occurring in the body.

Antioxidant	Good Food Sources
Vitamin A	Dark green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, turnip greens. Carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, apricots, liver, eggs and dairy products
Vitamin C	Citrus fruits and their juices, guava, kiwifruit, papaya, berries especially strawberries, mangoes, pineapple, red peppers, parsley, broccoli, cauliflower, watercress, tomatoes and liver.
Vitamin E	Vegetable oils, peanuts, sunflower seeds, corn, asparagus, tomatoes, fortified breakfast cereals, wheat germ, brown rice, oatmeal, soybeans, sweet potatoes, legumes and dark leafy vegetables.
Selenium	Brazil nuts, cereals, brewers yeast, oatmeal, brown rice, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, kidney, crab, lobster, garlic, molasses and onions.
Lycopene	Tomatoes, watermelon, guava, apricots, papaya, pink grapefruit and blood oranges.

Antioxidants Benefits

How do antioxidants work in the prevention of disease? Antioxidant supplements are used for their beneficial effects on the heart, cancer prevention, prevention of neurodegeneration and as anti aging supplements for healthy aging by blocking the cell damaging effects of free radicals. The American Heart Association, recommends a well balanced healthy diet rather than supplements as the source of the Vitamins listed above. However, recent genomics research has shown that some individuals have defective vitamin-cofactor binding sites, and that vitamin supplementation would be beneficial in these cases.

Supplements Highest In Antioxidants

A number of super supplements are now available containing high amounts of polyphenols, flavonols, lipoic acid and ascorbic acid amongst others. There are also a variety of nutrient dense superfoods that have super-antioxidant properties.

Green tea contains flavanols and the polyphenols catechin, gallaogatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Green tea has more polyphenols in one cup than one serving of broccoli, strawberries or carrots. Furthermore, EGCG has been shown to be more potent than Vitamin C or Vitamin E.
Ascorbic Acid, or Vitamin C, is a water soluble vitamin that needs to be replaced daily in the diet or through nutritional supplements since it is not stored in the body.
Melatonin, a natural sleep aid has demonstrated antioxidant activity. However, the dose required for melatonin to be effective in this role, is much higher than that used in the treatment of insomnia.

So, now that you have your answer to "how do antioxidants work"?, it is vital that you include foods containing antioxidants in your diet.

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Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for reference purposes only, and is not intended as medical or professional advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before commencing a diet or exercise program

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