What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants have always been around, but have become a craze in the nutritional industry in recent years. You’ve undoubtedly heard something about them, probably some product boasting about the large quantity of antioxidants it contains.
   
The term antioxidant refers to a group of different things including various vitamins, minerals and enzymes. What is special about antioxidants is that they as they travel though the body they protect the body by neutralizing what are called “free radicals” before they are able to form in the body.

Free radicals are dangerous because they move around the body killing certain cells and destroying the protective outer layers of other cells. It is particularly troublesome if a free radical can find its way into the interior of a cell, where its genetic code is stored. A free radical can damage and alter the genetic code, otherwise known as DNA. Since the genetic code is what gives the cell instructions on precisely what to do, damaging the code will result in a cell which may not be able to reproduce anymore, or a cell is simply abnormal and irregular. It is thought that this damaging process can lead to many diseases and cancers. Limiting the extent of free radicals in the body is therefore crucial in the fight for disease and cancer prevention.

If you want to enjoy an antioxidant rich diet, then look to plants more than meat because plants produce them naturally to protect themselves against disease. Different vitamins and minerals have a wide range of antioxidants qualities, so there are some vitamins and minerals in particular which should be focused on.

Vitamin A is an important antioxidant, which helps the body kill germ cells, maintain healthy mucous, and destroy free radicals. Vitamin C is a particular potent antioxidant, and is able to protect the brain and spinal cord in particular from free radical damage. Vitamin E protects the coating of each cell against free radicals, but requires Zinc to maintain itself in the body.

Moving on to minerals, selenium has a particular ability to increase the body’s natural antibody response to germ infection, as well as boosting the effectiveness of vitamin E. GLA is a key antioxidant and regulator which can be found in black currant seed oil and primrose oil. L-cysteine helps the liver and detoxifies the body from harmful chemicals and poisons emitted by germs, and L-gluthatione is a real destroyer of free radicals, protecting the body from the harmful effects of things like cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.

Antioxidants may not be all they are hyped up to be, further research is certainly required, but insofar as they inhibit the spread of free radicals in the body they are bound to have some positive effects, so make sure you include them in your diet.