Antioxidants are biologically occurring nutrients found in food. They keep the body and the immune system from free radicals, which are harmful molecules formed in the body. Free radicals are caused by oxidative processes in the body such as the burning of sugars for energy, the release of digestive enzymes to break down food and the processing of environmental pollutants.
A “free radical” is a molecule or an atom that has at least one and maybe more unpaired electrons. This makes it very unstable and reactive to other atoms or groups of atoms and this can lead to an impediment of the cells capability to function naturally. Free radicals can produce cell damage, which can lead to the advance of age-related conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
Antioxidants work by matching up with the unpaired electron thereby neutralizing the free radical. Antioxidants can also prevent the oxidation in the first place. In this course of neutralization the antioxidant will become oxidized itself so therefore antioxidants need to be constantly replaced. Preventing destruction from oxidation is important, however, preventing oxidation totally is not likely because oxidation is a innate process of living and it cannot be avoided.
Common foods that we eat everyday give us with antioxidants. Vitamin C comes from citrus fruits and strawberries. Vitamin A and carotenoids are found in pumpkin, butternut squash and other deep orange foods. Vitamin is found in nuts, seed and whole grains. Selenium comes from eggs, chicken, red meat, fish and shellfish. A mixture of phytochemicals including flavonoids and polyphenols can be found in soy, red wine, grapes, cranberries and green tea. Lycopene is from tomatoes and watermelon and Lutein comes from deep green vegetables like spinach and kale. Lignan can be found in whole grains like oats and barley and also in flaxseeds.
There are also vitamin like antioxidants including Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and Glutathione and antioxidant enzymes made by the body including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase.
Antioxidants are critical to our bodies and our health. In the past few years many antioxidants have become obtainable in the form of supplements. While some antioxidant supplements have proven to be relatively safe, for example vitamin C tablets, other antioxidants have proven to be detrimental. No single antioxidant can protect the body and it is the synergy of nutrients that provides the value rather than the individual antioxidant.
The safest and by far the best way to get your antioxidants is through the intake of a healthy diet, consisting of a assortment of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and fish. The USDA recommends 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and even more may be better. Most fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense and low calorie so there are no uncertainties of gaining excess weight and eating fruits and vegetables to get your antioxidants poses no risk to your body as opposed to some supplements.
The deep colors in foods often show the levels of antioxidants so consume colorful foods, purple blueberries, red grapes and red tomatoes, deep green spinach and kale, orange oranges and pumpkins and more. Think about eating many different colors everyday for the highest antioxidant intake.
