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Get Your Antioxidants The Natural Way - Through Your Diet
By Tony Robinson, Tue Jan 10th
You may have about the importance of antioxidants in the diet,and their possible role in fighting a variety of illnesses,including some kinds of cancer, age related degeneration andheart disease. You could also be forgiven for thinking that antioxidantvitamins are things that come in pills, powders and capsules.The marketing of antioxidant vitamin supplements, such asvitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E, is intense and relentless.While vitamin supplements can be helpful, however, the majorityof antioxidant should come from food, not from vitaminsupplements. It is important to understand how antioxidant work toprotect the body from harm. Antioxidants work by combining withand neutralizing harmful elements known collectively as freeradicals. Free radicals are produced naturally by the body, as aconsequence of a number of natural bodily processes. Most of thetime, the body is able to neutralize and eliminate these freeradicals on its own.
However, stresses such as environmental pollution, a weakenedimmune system, UV radiation and alcohol consumption can lowerthe body's ability to fight these free radicals. Excessive free radicals in the human body can cause damage tothe structure and function of the various organs and systems inthe body. Recent studies have implicated free radicals in anumber of diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Inaddition, free radicals are thought to play a significant rolein the aging process. It is estimated that foods contain some 4,000 differentcompounds that have antioxidant qualities. Since only a smallnumber of these compounds have been identified, and a lesseramount yet have been synthesized, it is easy to see why it is sohard for vitamin supplements to replace a healthy diet. Healthy,antioxidant containing foods like fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, trace elementsand other micronutrients in addition to the antioxidants thathave been identified by science. There are many major that have been found to havestrong antioxidant qualities. Perhaps the most well known, andthe most studied, of these antioxidant is vitamin C.Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is water soluble and isfound in all the tissues and fluids of the body. Since vitamin Cis not stored in the body, it is important
that everyone's dietcontain plenty of vitamin C. Good sources of vitamin C in the diet include citrus fruits likeoranges and grapefruits, green peppers, broccoli, strawberries,cabbage and potatoes. Dark green leafy vegetables are also goodsources of vitamin C. Vitamin E is another popular member of the antioxidant family,and it is thought to play an important role in protecting thebody from aging. Vitamin E may not be the cure all wonder thatit was once thought to be, but it is still an importantprotector of the body. Good sources of dietary vitamin E include nuts, seeds, wheatgerm, whole grain breads, vegetable oil, fish oil and dark greenleafy vegetables. Beta carotene is also an important antioxidant vitamin, and itis important to a number of bodily processes. The role of betacarotene in the natural world is to protect the skins of yellowand orange vegetables and fruits from the damaging rays of thesun. It is believed that beta carotene plays the same sort ofrole in human nutrition. That is, beta carotene is thought to beimportant in protecting people from the damage caused byenvironmental pollution, UV rays, etc. Beta carotene rich foods include yellow and orange vegetablesand fruits such as carrots, yellow squash, sweet potatoes,cantaloupes, peaches and apricots. In addition, dark green leafyvegetables such as collard greens and broccoli, and fruits liketomatoes, also contain significant levels of beta carotene. Selenium is an important mineral thought to share many traitswith antioxidants. Selenium in particular has been studied forits ability to prevent and reverse cell damage. Scientistscontinue to focus on this cell protecting ability as a possiblecancer fighter. Selenium is one good example of why it is important to get thenutrients you need from food, not from vitamin supplements. Highlevels of selenium can be toxic, so supplementation is notrecommended. Foods high in selenium, such as fish, shellfish,red meat, poultry, eggs, garlic and whole grains, however, arerecommended. In addition to these sources of selenium, fruitsand vegetables that are grown in selenium rich soils are alsogood sources of this important mineral.
. About the author:Tony Robinson is a Company CEO, webmaster husband and dad. Inhis busy lifestyle he has placed importance on health andfitness. Visit http://www.eat-healthily.com for good eating tipsand techniques to assist you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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