Every day consumers are bombarded with dire warnings about their health. They are urged to buy a host of supplements that will help reduce their risk for contracting heart disease, cancer, asthma and a host of other scary conditions. Among many other modern phrases, more and more people want to know exactly what is an antioxidant. It seems that this is a key to good health.
Everybody knows that oxygen is one of the main keys to live as we know it. Every living thing needs it in order to survive. Oxygen plays several important roles, such as facilitating reactions that produce energy. This is done by metabolizing proteins and carbohydrates, amongst other. However, because oxygen is so highly reactive, it sometimes become part of destructive molecules, called free radicals.
Free radicals are molecules that are unstable. This happens when the bond that holds the cell become weak, resulting in a molecule that has an unpaired electron. They are formed during exercise but there are many other causes for the formation of free radicals. These causes include smoking, too much exposure to the sun, pollution and even certain over the counter drugs.
Unstable free radicals try to gain back their missing electrons. They do this by attacking healthy cells. Unfortunately, this causes a reaction, because the healthy cell also becomes a free radical that will attack other healthy cells to gain back the missing electron. This process causes the death of many millions of molecules. This chain reaction can lead to many health problems, including arthritis, neurological diseases, cancer and lung disease.
Fortunately, there is a solution to the problem. Antioxidants are miracle workers that will remain stable whether they have an extra electron or not. This means that they are able to donate an electron to a free radical without perpetuating the chain reaction by becoming a free radical after losing an electron. In this way the free radicals can be neutralized and the process of destruction stopped.
The good news is that there are many foods that contain this amazing ability to neutralize free radicals. Scientists use ORAC scores to indicate just how many any given food has. Some foods are much richer than others. They are abundant in foods such as berries, dark green vegetables, avocado pears and green tea. Experts agree that it is highly advisable to consume a variety of foods rich in this substance.
Health experts and dieticians advise that everybody should try and consume more foods that are able to neutralize free radicals. Natural foods, preferably fresh, is considered to be more valuable to supplements in the form of tablets or syrups. This body produces this substance necessary but because food is so highly processed it cannot produce enough. Pollution and high levels of stress also makes it difficult for the body to cope.
Finding out what is an antioxidant is the easy part. Understanding its importance and making a concerted effort to include it in the diet is quite another matter. Free radicals can quickly become a serious health problem and most experts agree that most people need at least two or three portions every day.
Everybody knows that oxygen is one of the main keys to live as we know it. Every living thing needs it in order to survive. Oxygen plays several important roles, such as facilitating reactions that produce energy. This is done by metabolizing proteins and carbohydrates, amongst other. However, because oxygen is so highly reactive, it sometimes become part of destructive molecules, called free radicals.
Free radicals are molecules that are unstable. This happens when the bond that holds the cell become weak, resulting in a molecule that has an unpaired electron. They are formed during exercise but there are many other causes for the formation of free radicals. These causes include smoking, too much exposure to the sun, pollution and even certain over the counter drugs.
Unstable free radicals try to gain back their missing electrons. They do this by attacking healthy cells. Unfortunately, this causes a reaction, because the healthy cell also becomes a free radical that will attack other healthy cells to gain back the missing electron. This process causes the death of many millions of molecules. This chain reaction can lead to many health problems, including arthritis, neurological diseases, cancer and lung disease.
Fortunately, there is a solution to the problem. Antioxidants are miracle workers that will remain stable whether they have an extra electron or not. This means that they are able to donate an electron to a free radical without perpetuating the chain reaction by becoming a free radical after losing an electron. In this way the free radicals can be neutralized and the process of destruction stopped.
The good news is that there are many foods that contain this amazing ability to neutralize free radicals. Scientists use ORAC scores to indicate just how many any given food has. Some foods are much richer than others. They are abundant in foods such as berries, dark green vegetables, avocado pears and green tea. Experts agree that it is highly advisable to consume a variety of foods rich in this substance.
Health experts and dieticians advise that everybody should try and consume more foods that are able to neutralize free radicals. Natural foods, preferably fresh, is considered to be more valuable to supplements in the form of tablets or syrups. This body produces this substance necessary but because food is so highly processed it cannot produce enough. Pollution and high levels of stress also makes it difficult for the body to cope.
Finding out what is an antioxidant is the easy part. Understanding its importance and making a concerted effort to include it in the diet is quite another matter. Free radicals can quickly become a serious health problem and most experts agree that most people need at least two or three portions every day.
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