Antioxidants: What are antioxidants?

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What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are molecules that fight oxidative stress in the body and can be found in foods made from plants. In a nutshell, oxidative stress occurs when the body’s ability to combat free radicals that harm cells is out of balance with the amount of free radicals it produces.

Free revolutionaries structure as a result of ordinary digestion and in light of activity, sun openness, and ecological poisons like brown haze and tobacco smoke. The oxidative pressure set off by free revolutionary’s harms sound cells and is remembered to assume a part in different illnesses, including malignant growth, diabetes, Alzheimer’s sickness, Parkinson’s illness, and coronary illness. Aging is also impacted negatively by oxidative stress.

Cancer prevention agents basically act as guardians to shield sound cells from free extreme assaults. They do this to protect your health and support normal physiological function.

Top sources of antioxidants

From vitamin C to flavonoids and polyphenols, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of substances that act as antioxidants. Antioxidants can be found in a wide variety of plant-based foods, making them accessible. Berries, cocoa, spices, beans, artichokes, apples, nuts and seeds, cherries, dark leafy greens, coffee and tea, whole grains, grapes, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet potatoes, avocado, and pomegranate are some of the most popular sources.

  • The process of oxidation in the human body produces unstable chemicals called free radicals, which damage cell membranes and other structures.
  • Free radicals have been linked to a variety of diseases (including heart disease and certain cancers).
  • Antioxidants are compounds in foods that scavenge and neutralise free radicals.
  • Evidence suggests that antioxidant supplements do not work as well as the naturally occurring antioxidants in foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Too many antioxidants via supplements could be harmful

However, the objective isn’t to stack up on whatever number cell reinforcements as could reasonably be expected. There are high-portion cell reinforcement supplements out there, yet they aren’t the most ideal way to safeguard your body. In fact, some studies have found a connection between smoking and taking high-dose beta-carotene supplements. Supplementing with a high dose of the antioxidant vitamin E has been linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer and hemorrhagic stroke, which is a type of stroke caused by brain bleeding.

Whole, plant-based foods contain the most antioxidants. This is in part due to the fact that antioxidants collaborate with other bioactive compounds and with one another. To put it another way, they are just one component in a larger recipe for health protection.

Good sources of specific antioxidants include:

  • allium sulphur compounds – leeks, onions and garlic
  • anthocyanins – eggplant, grapes and berries
  • beta-carotene – pumpkin, mangoes, apricots, carrots, spinach and parsley
  • catechins – red wine and tea
  • copper – seafood, lean meat, milk and nuts
  • cryptoxanthins – red capsicum, pumpkin and mangoes
  • flavonoids – tea, green tea, citrus fruits, red wine, onion and apples
  • indoles – cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
  • isoflavonoids – soybeans, tofu, lentils, peas and milk
  • lignans – sesame seeds, bran, whole grains and vegetables
  • lutein – green, leafy vegetables like spinach, and corn
  • lycopene – tomatoes, apricots, pink grapefruit and watermelon
  • manganese – seafood, lean meat, milk and nuts
  • polyphenols – herbs
  • selenium – seafood, offal, lean meat and whole grains
  • vitamin A – liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, and egg yolks
  • vitamin C – oranges, blackcurrants, kiwifruit, mangoes, broccoli, spinach, capsicum and strawberries
  • vitamin E – vegetable oils (such as wheatgerm oil), avocados, nuts, seeds and whole grains
  • zinc – seafood, lean meat, milk and nuts
  • zoochemicals – red meat, offal and fish. Also derived from the plants that animals eat.

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