Antioxidant Food - What You Need To Know
Antioxidant foods are essential for everyone’s
health. Eating fruits and vegetables which are antioxidant foods
ensures that we have the necessary antioxidants in our bodies.
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The fact that antioxidant food can help to
protect our bodies from free radicals which are created
during oxidation shows why it is very critical that you eat
your vegetables and fruits. Fruits and vegetables are
antioxidant foods. This is also the reason why health
practitioners such as doctors maintain that your diet must
contain fresh fruits and vegetables in order to keep
healthy.
It is essential to elaborate more on free radicals. Free
radicals are highly reactive chemical substances that are
produced when the body undergoes the process of oxidation.
The reason that free radicals are highly reactive is that
they lack electrons, which cause them to be highly unstable.
To achieve maximum stability, free radicals therefore steal
electrons from other molecules around them and in so doing,
destroy the cell membranes and weaken the cell. This causes
degenerative diseases and quickens the process of aging. |
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Free radicals cause a chain reaction of “electron
stealing” because as soon as they start taking away electrons
from other molecules, those molecules become free radicals
themselves. Massive destruction ensues, leading to such
disorders as Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, cancer,
senility, and more. Given the serious diseases which these free
radicals can cause, it is very essential for you to consume the
recommended amounts of food that is rich in antioxidants.
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How do antioxidant foods work in our bodies?
Oxidation is inevitable. It is a naturally occurring process
in the body which occurs when we breathe. As a result, free
radicals, as by-products of oxidation, will always be
present in our body.
Is there a way for us to slow down the development of free
radicals? Is there a way to break the free radical chain
reaction? Is there a way to prevent those diseases caused by
harmful free radicals from developing? The answer is yes,
there is.
Antioxidant foods are potent substances that can neutralize
free radicals before they harm your body’s cells. This is
the major reason why scientists are continuing to conduct
studies on antioxidant foods and the benefits that the body
can incur from them. It is therefore very important to have
antioxidants in our bodies. |
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Which foods are antioxidant foods? Many foods
with high antioxidant levels are vegetables and fruits.
Specifically, recommended food items are tomatoes, broccoli,
cauliflower, and peppers among others. Nevertheless, you should
note that not all vegetables are high sources of antioxidant
foods. Some vegetables or fruits may have lesser amount or
concentration of antioxidant foods as other vegetables. As an
example, white grapes do not have the same amount of antioxidant
foods as the grapes used in making red wine. By knowing the
antioxidant food with the highest amount antioxidants, you can
then eat the best food for your body from which you can get the
highest levels of antioxidants.
In the past few years, antioxidant foods have been credited with
helping avoid and even cure a majority of diseases which are
said to have been caused primarily by harmful free radicals that
attack healthy, normal cells. By destroying these free radicals,
antioxidants not only stop the free radical chain reaction but
repair damaged cells as well. Antioxidant foods have been linked
to the treatment of such disorders as cancer, heart disease,
Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
Eat your vegetables and fruits everyday, and live a healthy and
long life.
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