Sources of Natural Antioxidants
Natural antioxidant food mainly acts against the
effects of oxygen in our bodies. For many years, man has relied on
nature for his source of nutrients essential for his health. Most of
our foods and our medicines come from plants. We rely on them almost
entirely for developing our bodies to their full potential and at
the same time reducing the causes of degenerative diseases. Natural
antioxidant plants are therefore an essential supply source for
various key nutrients which our bodies need.
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In recently years, scientists have discovered
the substance responsible for many of the health benefits
we’ve been receiving from plants. Fruits and vegetables it
seemed contain chemical substances that act on specific,
harmful molecules inside our bodies to stop them from
damaging our cells.
Because these substances work on oxygen by-products called
free radicals, they have since come to be known as natural
antioxidants.
What are the benefits of natural antioxidants? A natural
antioxidant protects the body against free radicals. One of
the numerous roles of natural antioxidants is to work
against the formation of cellular damage caused by free
radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical
substances which are produced whenever our body undergoes
the process of oxidation. |
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As soon as the free radicals are released, they
latch unto other molecules, stealing their electrons and in so
doing, turning them into unbalanced molecules like themselves.
The result is a rapid chain reaction which when left unchecked
can cause various degenerative diseases such as heart disease,
stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and
memory loss, among others.
Plants are the sources of natural antioxidants since the human
body cannot produce its own supply of natural antioxidants. For
this reason, we have to depend solely on our diet to get the
amount of antioxidants our body needs to keep healthy. Natural
antioxidants are therefore very essential for our health.
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So what specific plants can we get the
natural antioxidants from? Groups of well-known natural
antioxidants include catechins, coumarins, indoles, and
carotenoids. All these are complex compounds found in almost
every plant. Carotenoids are the largest group of naturally
occurring antioxidants, followed closely by indoles and
coumarins. Catechins are the natural antioxidants found in
the Camellia sinensis plant where we get our green tea,
oolong tea, and black tea. In the carotenoid group,
beta-carotene is the most common natural antioxidant.
Another name for beta-carotene is vitamin A, that essential
vitamin that helps prevent eye damage. This natural
antioxidant supports the immune system, might reduce the
skin’s risk to sun damage and DNA damage, supports healthy
cholesterol levels and increases lung capacity. Some studies
show that this natural antioxidant supports a healthy heart.
Catechins on the other hand are great weight loss inducers.
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In addition, the natural antioxidants they
contain help promote health by boosting the immune system in
order to reduce the risk of infection. Natural antioxidant have been credited with
helping prevent 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 eating the right foods with
natural antioxidants, we can keep our bodies healthy.
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