Antioxidant The rebels with a healthy cause

Antioxidants – The rebels with a healthy cause There has been a lot of talk about antioxidants from every nook and corner – health freaks are discussing it, doctors are promoting it and it’s basically been receiving a lot of good press and for very good reason.
But what is it, really? And how can you benefit from it without having to read books about it? Well, for starters, antioxidants simply stop or slow down the oxidation of other molecules inside our bodies.
Now, oxidation is a natural process, but when it happens in excess, it can cause serious damage.
So you might want to think of antioxidants as a type of biological vacuum cleaner that sucks out all the grime and muck from inside your body – thereby making it a safe environment for molecules to thrive.
During the process of oxidation, molecules attack one another due to what is known as a chain reaction which is triggered by the production of free radicals.
Free radicals are associated with cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diseases associated with aging such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. So antioxidants are often referred to as Free Radical Scavengers for this very reason.
Antioxidants are also said to slow down aging. As we grow older, our bodies produce fewer antioxidants leading to a speeding up of the aging process. So you can imagine what wonders antioxidants in your diet can do to you even on a cosmetic level!
We are exposed to free radicals on a daily basis through regular bodily processes such as breaking down of the foods we eat, exposure to the sun and pollution, taking toxins through medicines, smoking etc.
Antioxidants stop the chain reaction created by the oxidation process as a result of all these processes and clean out our systems. The oxidation process is also associated with most modern day diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, diabetes, muscle and tissue degeneration and many others.
The best and simplest way to combat this problem is by including antioxidants in your diet. It’s the easiest way to expose yourself to antioxidants. Since fruits and vegetables come loaded with various antioxidants, about five to six helpings of fruits and vegetables per day should greatly lower your risk of cancer, heart diseases, Alzheimer’s and enhance the overall health of your body.
You will feel better – fatigue is unlikely to play a role in your daily activities, your skin will clear up and get that radiant look you’ve always wanted and never got by using expensive skincare products, you will increase your chances of not looking your age at all by the time you hit forty and even your hair will thrive given all the vitamins and minerals that you get out of fruits and vegetables.
So, don’t get left behind. And no matter how much you’ve been abusing your system with smoking, alcohol and junk food, it’s still not too late. Antioxidants can work wonders. Just make sure you get enough and through natural means instead of supplements and see what wonders they work in your life!