The Natural Power of Antioxidants

The Natural Power of Antioxidants

When a squirt of lemon juice helps food stay fresh, it is working as an antioxidant, protecting against the harmful effects of Oxygen. Oxygen harmful? Well, we've all seen rust and tasted rancid oil. although essential for life, oxygen can also work against it. Unstable oxygen molecules do the damage when their basic paired units, electrons, lose their partners. If an oxygen molecules loses an electron, it stabilizes itself by grabbing another from any body substance or tissue nearby, causing that molecule in turn to become unstable. Every molecule robbed of an electron becomes destabilized itself. and if antioxidants aren't present a chain reaction can take place, creating damage to tissues. This process is called oxidation and is what antioxidants prevent. Unstable oxygen molecules are called free radicals.

Antioxidants work by preventing oxidants from forming, or by putting the brakes on free radical chain reactions. They form part of a well-balanced system that also repairs oxidation damage and neutralizes toxins.

Oxidants are a natural result of the production of energy of our tissues, and they do serve many useful purposes in the bod. However, a normally healthy body is designed to keep free radicals in check or directed only where they are useful, such as attacking invading bacteria. Out-of-Control oxidation is a causative factor in much illness, including heart disease and strokes. today polluted world means our bodies have to cope up with far higher levels of free radicals than ever before. Free radical culprits include smog, cigarette smoke, pesticides and food additives. The Average American doens't eat nearly enough antioxidants-rich fresh fruits and vegetables o counteract these environmental toxins. Our bodies are in double oxidant jeopardy, which makes taking antioxidant supplements an important part of preventing heart disease.