"Understanding Antioxidants and How They Can Benefit You"

Most of you are probably familiar with antioxidants, as it seems every company offering a supplement or food product uses that word as part of their marketing campaign. Even though it has become a part of our nutritional vocabulary, its' meaning may be somewhat unclear.

It appears that, in some way, the word seems to be related to oxygen, but how? On this page, I discuss what they are, and do, the most common ones, and common food sources.

What Are They and How Do They Work?
As we began our exploration of antioxidants, let's first break the word down into its component parts, okay? It can be broken down into two main parts: anti- and oxidant.

Most of us know what the first part, anti, means, obviously, it means against. But the second part, oxidant, may not be readily apparent.

Although oxygen is essential to human life, it can put into motion in your body a process that can have dangerous consequences. Oxidation occurs when a molecule loses an electron.


That molecule then becomes something we've discussed numerous times on this site, a free radical.

It is thought that free radicals attack every single cell in your body approximately 10,000 times a day. Unfortunately, as we age, the number of free radicals in our body increases.

From a cellular perspective, that free radical, at the very best, is a cell that doesn't perform the job it was originally designed to do.

At its worst, these altered cells can metamorphosize into more serious conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and macular degeneration.

If you've ever observed a peeled apple starting to turn brown after being exposed to the air for a few minutes, you're witnessing just how destructive oxidation can be.
What Benefits Do They Provide?
Here is a list of some of the advantages of antioxidants:

* Improvements in cognitive function - Cognitive function involves an improved ability to use information to meet the demands of everyday living.
* Slowing, even preventing, the development of cancer.
* Making you less likely to develop a cold, the flu, or viruses or infections
* Preventing the development of glaucoma and macular degeneration
* Slowing the aging process
* Reduced risk of developing heart disease

What Supplements Are Considered Antioxidants?
Here is a list of supplements that have antioxidant qualities and some foods where they can typically be found:

* Beta-carotene - broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
* Vitamin C - Citrus fruits like oranges and lime, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries, tomatoes
* Vitamin E - green leafy vegetables, nuts & seeds, vegetable oil, whole grains
* Selenium - chicken, eggs, fish, garlic, red meat

Here is a list of common phytochemicals:

* Alpha lipoic acd
* Flavonoids including anthocynidins, isoflavonoids, flavonols, flavones. Good food sources are fruits, vegetables, green tea, soybeans
* Grape seed extract
* Phenolic acids including caffeic acid, ferulic acid, coumaric acid, ellagic acid, gallic acid. Good food sources are berries, cherries, grapes, whole grains
* Quercetin
* Tannins including catechins. Good food sources are beans, grapes, lentils, tea
* Organosulfur compounds including allicin in garlic