Benefits Of Antioxidants & Danger Of Free Radicals
In the health industry, the pace of emergence for new products that claim to prevent free-radical damage and slow aging is simply astonishing. Well, the reason is obvious, we all want to look young as we age. That propels the market to come up with variety of antioxidant supplements and anti-aging vitamins. All these of cource excite and delight everybody who wants to look younger as they get older. But how do these “free-radicals killers” really work?
What Are Free Radicals?
In a layman term, free radicals are highly reactive atoms or group of atoms with an unpaired electron. This is what make them to become dangerous as they can react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane in our body. The cells in our body may be damaged and die by such chemical reactions. They can cause all sorts of deadly diseases such as cancer, leukemia, diabetes, kidney problems, liver problems, skin problems, etc.. Needless to say, free radicals also speed up the aging process.
We’re living in a free radical environment; ionizing radiation from industry, lead, radiations, automobile pollutions, etc.. Our body is always bombarded by free radicals in the environment. Upon breathing, oxygen induces a process called oxidation. And it is where free radicals form. This process is likened to the oxidation of metals. Once oxidized, aluminum turns to be white, iron becomes rusty, and copper transforms into green. In the same logic that oxidation damages metals; free radicals are also harmful to our body.
Of course, free radicals are not only come from the environment, they can also be produced by our body’s metabolism as a result of our diets. Therefore, living a healthy lifestyle and eating well-balanced diets can also help to curb free radicals.
As you can see, we need to take proactive actions to protect our body from free radicals. The solution to this problem is antioxidants as they are our body’s defense system. Antioxidants can neutralize and prevent free radical damage to the body.
How Antioxidants Work?
Antioxidants are dietary substances that can prevent damage to our body cells or repair damage that has been done. They are capable of preventing oxidation – a process caused by free radicals that can lead to cell dysfunction. So, basically antioxidants prevent the formation of free radicals. If your body has an abundance of antioxidants, they can protect you from harmful diseases and slow down the aging process.
Antioxidants can help you look younger, live longer, and be at your optimum health. Foods rich in antioxidants are fruits and vegetables, they can give you great protection from harmful and age-related diseases. Antioxidants can also strengthen your immune system to diseases such as influenza and other viral infections.
Vitamins A, C, and E are some of the main antioxidants that help protect you from serious diseases. If taking antioxidant supplements is not your cup of tea, then the alternative for you is to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Quit smoking, avoid excessive alcohol drinking and exercise regularly. We may not be able to control the pollution in our environment, but we can choose to live a healthy lifestyle and eat balanced diet to help our body fight against free radicals.
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