The body needs oxygen in order to function correctly. However, when the body uses oxygen it creates free radicals or oxidants as a side effect. These oxidants cause cell damage which can lead to many different chronic diseases. Simply put, free radicals are molecules that are unstable because they have one too many electrons or they’re missing one.

In an attempt to become stable, they will try to take away or give electrons to other healthy molecules. This changes the structure of the healthy molecule making it unstable. This in turn creates a chain reaction that can spread throughout the body over time. Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize free radicals by giving or receiving an electron without being turned into one. However, they will become inactive once this transaction takes place. For this reason, it’s important to continue providing the body with antioxidants so it can continue to prevent and repair damage done by free radicals.

Medical conditions associated with these include the following:

* Cataracts
* Heart Disease
* Diabetes
* Macular Degeneration
* Cancers
* Weakened Immune System
* Premature Aging

Some studies indicate that free radicals may be responsible for certain types of arthritis as well.

Not only are these created naturally but they can also enter the body through external sources such as pollution, stress, cigarette smoke, radiation and even too much exposure to the sun. Since you cannot avoid coming in contact with free radicals, it’s important to make sure you keep them under control with antioxidants.

The body naturally produces some antioxidant enzymes. The three most common ones are listed below along with a brief description of how they can help the body stay healthy.

1. Superoxide Dismutase – This enzyme changes the structure of the free radicals or oxidants and then breaks them down into hydrogen peroxide.
2. Catalase – This enzyme will break down the hydrogen peroxide turning it into water, very small oxygen particles or gases.
3. Glutathione – This enzyme acts as a detoxifying agent that will bind the different toxins changing their form. This in turn helps them to be removed from the body in the form of waste.

Other antioxidant agents can be found in different foods, culinary herbs and medicinal herbs. By supplying your body with a proper diet that includes foods containing antioxidants, you can help improve your health, extend your life and reduce premature aging. Taking care of your body has many benefits. You’ll look better, feel better and have more energy to enjoy all that life has to offer.

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During the oxidation process, free radicals, which are highly reactive byproducts, are produced. When other molecules interact with these free radicals they themselves get turned into free radicals and their normal functioning gets disrupted. Eventually this could lead to massive tissue damage and cell destruction. It could even lead to the incidence of degenerative diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Atherosclerosis disease, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease.

Fortunately for us the human body is naturally equipped with defenses that work to prevent the harmful effects of these free radical compounds. Antioxidants are chemical substances that are naturally present in vegetables as well as fruit. These antioxidants hunt down free radicals and act on them. This causes the free radicals to get neutralized and stops their rampage and the damage they do to the body’s healthy cells, thus preventing or decreasing the incidence of disease.

Antioxidant Effects of Plants

Camellia sinensis is one of many plants that are known to contain a high level of disease-fighting antioxidants. This plant is sometimes also called the tea plant. Chinese households have been serving tea as a healthy beverage for hundreds of years in order to promote general well being and good health. Green tea in particular is very popular because of the many remarkable health benefits it provides.

Green tea is very popular in Japan, India. Thailand and China where people have been drinking it for years. Green tea has been used as one of the ingredients in many traditional Indian as well as Chinese medicines. Green tea is used in medicine as a:

* Stimulant

* Astringent- it helps wounds to heal and also controls bleeding

* Diuretic- promotes urine excretion

* Agent that improves health of the heart.

The benefits derived from green tea are believed to be largely due to the poly catechins that are present in it. These poly catechins have very powerful and highly effective antioxidant effects. Other than poly catechins there are many other ingredients present that contribute to the antioxidant properties of green tea.

The Antioxidant Properties of Green Tea

The antioxidant properties and effects of green tea are due to the presence of powerful polyphenolic antioxidants, also known as catechins. The other substances that give green tea its antioxidant properties include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A and tannin. Green tea also has powerful neuro-protective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial and cardio-protective properties. Epigallocatechin gallate, which is an especially bioactive catechin, has been identified by many scientists as particularly important because its antioxidant effects have been linked to cancer prevention.

Antioxidants.

In order to explain what antioxidants are, you need to understand that your body is made of trillions of different cells. Each organ in your body (for example, the heart, the brain, the liver, etc.) is made up of many different cells.

As we get older, cells in our bodies can get damaged by many different things. For instance, pollution can damage our cells… poor diets can damage our cells… poor water can damage our cells… smoking (as well as second hand smoke can damage our cells.), etc. Depending on the extent of the damage, different organs (remember, each organ is made up of many cells) can get damaged. Once they get damaged too much, it leads to problems such as heart disease, liver problems, cancer, alzheimers, etc.

Antioxidants help repair damaged cells in our bodies and antioxidants also help prevent our healthy cells from getting damaged. Hopefully, if we take enough antioxidants when we are younger, we can prevent ourselves from getting problems such as heart disease, liver problems and cancer.

So it is definitely good to try to prevent your cells from getting damaged. You can start this at any age.

Antioxidants can be found in our foods as well as in different supplements.

The fruits with the most antioxidants in them are any kind of berries… blueberries, strawberries, etc. Dark green vegetables also contain a lot of antioxidants such as spinach and kale.

Some good supplements that contain high levels of antioxidants are green tea extract, grape seed extract and turmeric curcumin.

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Acai Berry Antioxidants

Also it is scientifically proven that all dark colored berries are very rich in the anti oxidants, Acai is also dark purple in color and contain. This berry is tested to have the highest amount of anti oxidants ever tested in a fruit. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) are the units used to measure the levels of anti oxidants in any given food item. The ORAC value of acai is tested to be 70,000. It comprises of the anti oxidants known as Anthocyanins.

Now, another fact we must know that acai has no shelf value as a fruit. If it is not processed within 24 hours of its collection from the trees, it looses all its nutritional value. The best mode of processing acai is Freeze Drying. Spray drying kills all the nutritional value of the fruit. Freeze drying converts this fruit into a fine powder. Then this powder is used to make acai diet supplements like pills, capsules, juices & pulps. Acai Juice & pulp contains . Liquids are the best form of anti oxidation diet supplements.

Acai Berry Antioxidants also helps in weight loss. Let us see how:

The free radicals enter the body through the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink. These free radicals comprise of the oxidants. These oxidants hit on the body cells and damage them. This hampers our immunity system. It also makes us prone to several allergies. It damages our skin and makes us feel unhealthy. As a result we lose our energy quotient and become obese. With anti oxidation, these free radicals are removed from the body. The anti oxidants also repair the damage caused due to the oxidants on our skin and other body cells.

Acai Berry and Colon Cleanse.

Medical practitioners point to free radicals as the major culprits in disease and aging processes. Free radicals are unstable chemical materials that appear to have a part in the development of disease and body breakdowns. The creation of free radicals is a normal part of life, and they result directly from oxidation. When humans breathe, the body undergoes the oxidation process, which releases free radicals into the cells. Typically, the natural defense mechanisms of the body neutralize free radicals and render them harmless.

In the modern world, however, environment conditions and elements such as UV-radiation, pollution, and alcohol can overwhelm the ability of the body to neutralize the free radicals naturally. They can then damage the function and structure of the cells in the body. Researchers have noted that the accumulation of free radicals in the body contributes to aging and illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

By consuming foods rich in antioxidants, individuals can help their bodies handle free radicals. Scientists have estimated that over 4,000 chemical compounds exist in antioxidant food sources that may have the same function as antioxidants. The food sources most commonly studied for their antioxidant properties are also rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium. Most people take supplements to obtain antioxidants, but studies have shown that supplements may not provide the optimal measure of the free-radical neutralization.

Physicians recommend that individuals receive their antioxidants by consuming foods that contain them rather than by taking supplements. Both the fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable sections of the local supermarket is the best place to find food sources that are rich in antioxidants, along with the area that offers whole grains. Most antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables. For example, vitamin C is most often found in citrus fruits, broccoli, grapes, raw cabbage, peppers, strawberries, green leafy vegetables, and potatoes. And vitamin E is found in food sources such as nuts, seeds, whole grains, wheat germ, vegetable oil, fish-liver oil, and green leafy vegetables.

Not all herbal teas will give you the antioxidant dose that you need to fight off cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and even the prevention of blood clots. You have to be careful about the teas that you drink so that you get the right amount of herbal tea antioxidants. Herbal teas are a great supplement to an antioxidant diet.

Green and White Teas

Green tea has been on the market for some time and the health benefits have long been trumpeted by health food stores. Green tea is a great source of herbal tea antioxidants. If you smoke or sun yourself all day then this could be a great way to counterbalance these bad habits.

Free radicals are released into your body everyday by environmental factors such as pollution that no one can really help. Even being exposed to second hand smoke can put you at the risk of free radicals. Free radicals really need to be filtered out of the system as left alone you put yourself at risk for cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

White teas are also a good source of herbal tea antioxidants. In fact white teas are thought to have more antioxidants than super green tea. It even has less caffeine and can help you lose a few pounds. It has been found that regular consumption of green and white tea can speed up your metabolism and help you lose weight.

Fighting Cancer with Tea Antioxidant

Today it seems like so many factors can cause cancer. We are constantly being told of new cancer causing foods that we should avoid and eliminate from out diets. So what can we do besides existing on a boring diet? The answer might lie in tea antioxidants. Antioxidants sound like a strange chemical but they are actually essential to ensuring your body remains healthy.

The logic behind antioxidants is that in our bodies there are certain unstable molecules. These molecules are oxidants, or more commonly called free radicals, and can wreak havoc in your body. The way to get rid of oxidants is of course with antioxidants.

Redbush and Honey bush Tea

Redbush and honey bush tea or more commonly known as Rooibus tea is a tea from South Africa. This is another source of herbal tea antioxidants. You can reduce pre-cancerous cells or they can be eliminated when you regularly consume this herbal tea.

Another plus of this distinctive tea is that it is completely caffeine free. You can also get good amounts of iron, fluoride, and Vitamin C from this wonderful tea. The antioxidants that are found in this tea are thought to be unique and will help you to keep healthy and slow down the aging process. All that in one little cup of tea!

Herbal tea-antioxidant.

Brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. Antioxidants are said to be an inhibitor of certain types of diseases. However, coffee beans are not all a like. Not all coffee beans are of the same quality or even the same make up. Sort of like comparing tennis shoes to sandals. Both go on your feet, but they are not made up of the same components. You can actually break coffee down into several different water-soluble components. The dietary fiber derived from roasted coffee silver skin. This is one component of the coffee bean that has high antioxidant content. This is how the scientists find out about the antioxidant benefits of coffee in their studies. What they do in fact is the break down the coffee beans into different components. They filter out the components that the coffee antioxidant is found in, and then they test lab rats in a variety of experiments to determine how well they survive with or without the various additives in their diet. When they discover something really swell, like a coffee antioxidant, our culture of coffee drinking addicts suddenly becomes a feverorish mob.

For years and years we’ve heard bad things about coffee. For example: it’s bad for your heart, increases blood pressure, may cause breast cancer, probably keeps you awake at night, and my personal favorite, has a poisonous gas when brewed.When the world of coffee addicts even gets a tiny hint that coffee could have something beneficial, believe me they don’t just drink more coffee, they try to get everyone to join them. So, here we now have scientific studies proving to us that coffee has antioxidants.

Researchers have identified several compounds in coffee that create a coffee antioxidant. Why would this be of interest to us? Because scientific studies are showing that antioxidants may help prevent cancer. You see the connection here. However, until human studies are done, science cannot state exactly how much coffee must be consumed in order gain this protection against colon cancer or any other type of cancer. Before the coffee is roasted the antioxidant benefits are varied. However, once the coffee is roasted and served as a drink things get evened out. They all seem to have the same degrees of antioxidants.

Some studies suggest coffee having other benefits such as added fertility in men and some benefits for those suffering from diabetes. You’ll have to read those studies on your own. The fact that a coffee antioxidant exists may be true, but the reality is that coffee can be just as harmful if your body doesn’t like it, if you consume too much, if you have high blood pressure, and if it keeps you awake at night. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? Yes, but the actual amount needed to be consumed in order to receive the anti-cancer benefits by humans is unknown. How exactly is coffee an antioxidant?

Coffee alone isn’t the antioxidant, it’s several different components that are part of the coffee bean. Roasting and heating the coffee changes the total antioxidant output. Does it become the antioxidant when it’s heated? It seems that although some coffee beans like green coffee beans may be higher in antioxidants that other more common beans, once they are roasted and heated for consumption, the results are the same regarding the antioxidantal benefits. Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Honestly, this is NOT a question easily answered. In fact, the truth is it is still unknown just how beneficial coffee antioxidants are for humans. Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? Yes, of course there is. If you have high blood pressure and you have seen how coffee enhances this problem, you know it’s bad for YOU personally. If you can’t get proper sleep or you drive everyone around you nuts because you can’t sit still or shut-up, you know coffee is bad for you.

Use common sense and listen to your body. Coffee is not good for everyone and unknown just how good for anyone. How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us? Again drink coffee in moderation, pay attention to your own body. Exercise and good eating habits are a far better way to get healthy than drinking 10 cups of cappuccino a day. All things in moderation. After reading everything about this new thing called a coffee antioxidant I have decided that there are better ways of getting antioxidants into my blood.

Coffee may have many benefits, but so does water and it is possible to drown from drinking too much water. Yes, I know, you have to really drink a lot to accomplish this, but it’s the principle of the matter. Too much of anything is not a good thing.

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As an individual who enjoys a healthy lifestyle there a few keyroles that can help you with improving it. One of those ingredients can be antioxidant supplements. Most consumers are looking for an antioxidant supplements that can add some value to there life that is natural and will not cause damage. Your body needs food in order in to maintain a strong function and give you the energy you meet your daily needs. Some people use different types of foods in order to get the nutritional value to make up the shortfall that they require. One of those ways to make up for any shortages of proper food can come in the form of natural non-synthetic vitamins.

There a few key roles that antioxidants supplements can help you with if you increase them. These include protecting your body cells from damage. Often there can be a vitamin shortage in your body that is causing you maybe to not recover they way you should be. With the help of vitamins and foods you can make up the difference that you need. Often you will be able to use the powerful selection of herbal or natural products to help put your body in greater functioning capacity. Other benefits include normalizing blood clotting, restoring libido and even helping preventing other diseases. Fitness and nutrition are a big part of many peoples lives and it is important to take your health seriously.

Non synthetic 100% natural vitamins are the a great way for maintaining your health because they can be absorbed by your body unlike synthetic. Synthetic vitamins are known for their immediate change to the body making you think they are absorbing if at all. With whole food vitamins there is no “multivitamin” because if you were to obtain the proper nourishment to any organ or area of the body it is better to treat that part of the body specifically one at a time.

With natural supplements smell the vitamins – Do they smell like chemicals? Or food? The other think to note is that whole food natural supplements are a longer term thing and health professionals that prescribe these say it takes the body three months to properly correct a health issue when feeding the area of the body in need.

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We all need essential vitamins and minerals in our diet, which are found in abundance in fresh fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, the typical American diet is over-processed and offers very little nutrients. Due to this lack in nutrients in the American diet, many people have taken to supplementing their vitamin and mineral needs. Vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene and selenium are all antioxidants.

It is thought that 2 out of every 10 adults take some form of vitamin supplements, but what if it was found out that taking supplements does not help us stay healthy? What if it was found out that taking supplements actually increased our risk of death?

A recent study from the Cochrane Collaboration, an international, independent collaboration that does extensive, in-depth medical research and summaries, found that taking antioxidant supplements might be harmful to our health. The study was a large, comprehensive, meta-analysis study – the most reliable type of research known to the medical community – and it involved 67 trials and 230,000 people.

They found that while 10.5 percent of people who were taking placebos or nothing at all died during the study, that number was much higher in the group taking antioxidant vitamin supplements, 13.1 percent. That may not seem like a big number, but even so they analyzed the results in a few different ways and came to the conclusion that antioxidant supplementation did in fact increase people’s chances of dying. In their analysis they found that beta-carotene, as well as vitamins A and E, were the culprits linked to the results.

The end conclusion was that some vitamins are harmful if taken in high doses. In many of the studies people were taking unusually high doses of supplementation.

While no one is at risk for getting too many vitamins from fresh fruits and vegetables, taking supplements should only be an option if you know that you are lacking a certain nutrient in your diet. It’s not healthy to hear about certain studies and start taking supplements without looking at your diet to see if you are already getting enough, just as it is not healthy to take more than the recommended dose.

Unless you are vitamin deficient or a pregnant woman needing vitamin D or folic acid, taking supplemental vitamins is something that should be taken very seriously. Talk to your doctor about your needs and for the best medicine, eat a diet rich in unprocessed, fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.

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.

Benefits of Antioxidants

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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