What are Antioxidants and Why Do They Matter?

What are Antioxidants and Why do You Need Them?

What are antioxidants? Simply put, they are substances that help protect our cells from damage. The body produces its own antioxidants, and certain foods – like fresh fruits and vegetables – also provide us with antioxidant benefits. Why are they important? Damage to our cells can lead to all sorts of health problems, including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Antioxidants help to protect us against this damage, which is why it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough of them in your diet!

So, how can you make sure you’re getting enough antioxidants? The best way is to eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. antioxidant-rich foods include: berries, dark chocolate, kidney beans, pecans, artichokes, and spinach. If you’re not getting enough of these in your diet, you may want to consider supplementing with an antioxidant supplement.

There are many different kinds of antioxidant supplements on the market today. Some of the most popular ones include: vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Antioxidant supplements can be found in both pill form and as powders or liquids that can be added to drinks or smoothies. No matter what form they come in, antioxidant supplements are a great way to make sure you’re getting the antioxidant benefits your body needs!

We hear a lot of buzz about antioxidants on the health front, but it may not be clear to everyone what they are and why they’re important. First, antioxidants are not new. Our bodies produce their own antioxidants and fresh fruits, vegetables, and some vitamins also boost our bodies with additional antioxidants. While antioxidants may be nothing new, understanding them and learning how to benefit from them is on the rise. 

The Inner War Between Good and Evil

Our bodies work hard to combat invasion. One of the chief ways we are at risk is through toxic substances inside and outside of our bodies. If you think about your body like a fortress, free radicals are trying to infiltrate it and take over. Free radicals are a term used to describe compounds in our bodies that can cause great harm if levels become too high. Free radicals are linked to health issues that can lead to death, so they are important to pay attention to.

What Are Free Radicals?

Free radicals are unstable molecules that our bodies produce as a result of natural processes and exposure to outside toxins. These molecules contain an unpaired electron in their outermost orbital, which makes them highly reactive. In other words, they’re looking for something to pair up with and will go to great lengths to do so. This can cause damage to cells, proteins, and DNA.

When free radical levels become too high, it’s called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been linked with heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic diseases. Luckily, our bodies are equipped with antioxidant defenses to help keep free radical levels in check. 

Interestingly, our bodies rely on free radicals to combat infection so they aren’t all bad, but too many can outweigh the benefits they provide. When free radicals build up and outnumber antioxidants our bodies develop oxidative stress which can lead to significant health issues including diabetes and heart disease. That’s why every day, there’s a war between the good antioxidants and the evil free radicals happening inside our bodies. 

What Causes Oxidative Stress? 

Oxidative stress happens in our bodies when we are bombarded inside and out by free radicals. These potentially dangerous compounds are found inside our bodies, but they are also found in the environment, foods, and chemicals we use every day. Some typical sources include-

-Air pollution

-Smoking

-Excessive sunlight exposure

-Pesticides and herbicides

-Processed foods

-High sugar intake 

-Alcohol

-Polyunsaturated fats

-Bacteria, fungus, and viruses

Our bodies can also have an increase of oxidative stress from unhealthy conditions like-

-Low or high oxygen levels

-High blood pressure

-Overuse of antioxidant vitamins

-Too much iron, magnesium, copper, or zinc

-Excessive sun exposure

Luckily, our bodies are equipped with antioxidant defenses to help keep free radical levels in check. Antioxidants are molecules that can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. 

Types of Antioxidants

There are many different types of antioxidants, but some of the most common ones include vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, and selenium. These compounds are found in a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, and spices. You can also get antioxidant benefits from supplements, but it’s always best to get them from whole foods first.

While antioxidant supplements may be helpful in some cases, it’s important to remember that they are not a cure-all. In fact, taking antioxidant supplements has been linked with some health risks. It’s always best to talk to your doctor before starting any supplement regimen, especially if you have a chronic illness or take medications.

How Antioxidants Work

Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals and preventing them from causing oxidative stress. They do this by giving up one of their own electrons to the free radical, thereby stabilizing it. This process can also prevent the free radical from stealing an electron from another molecule, which would start a chain reaction of cell and tissue damage. 

Antioxidants Fight Free Radicals 

Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals and prevent them from damaging cells. Our bodies produce antioxidants naturally, but so do all living things which means we can increase the levels of antioxidants we have through our diet and supplements. Many whole foods are a great source of antioxidants as well as tea, dark chocolate, and olive oil.

Thankfully, you can help your body build up antioxidants by choosing whole foods rich in Vitamins C and E, which are some of the most effective in combating free radicals. Foods are preferable to supplements because too many antioxidants can be harmful. Eating an antioxidant-rich diet with fresh fruits and vegetables will make it less likely you’ll overload antioxidants excessively. 

Antioxidants are an essential way to combat illness and disease in the body and fight free radicals that cause oxidative stress. Keeping a healthy balance of antioxidants and free radicals should be the goal.

Do you take antioxidant supplements? What are your favorite antioxidant-rich foods? Share in the comments below!

Talk soon,

Andie 🙂