Benefits Of Good Antioxidants

By Author: michel kein
Total Articles: 17
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Antioxidants are integral part of every living organism – plant, animals and humans. Antioxidants protect the cells which are the basic component or building blocks of our body. Interesting fact about antioxidant is that most living organisms including humans produce antioxidants in order to defend themselves from oxidative damage to the cells. Such antioxidants are called as endogenous antioxidants as they are produced by the body. When we consume antioxidants from external sources especially plants they are called exogenous or dietary antioxidants.

What do antioxidants do?

The primary job of antioxidants to quench the electron stealing free radicals. Free radicals are compounds that are natural by products of the body's metabolic processes like respiration, digestion etc. Under normal conditions these free radicals are kept under check through body's endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms. However certain factors like stress, pollution, certain disease condition, high intake of processed foods, poor nutrition etc increase the free radical generation. When the rate of influx of free radical generation exceeds ...
... the antioxidant pool in the body, it leads to conditions like premature aging, degenerative diseases and disorders. Here is where the dietary antioxidants play a critical role in boosting the body's endogenous antioxidant defense.

Dietary Antioxidants

Nature has blessed us with a plenty of dietary antioxidants in the form of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients or phytochemicals. Approximately 10,000 of them have been identified while there are many more that is yet to be identified. The role of dietary antioxidants is to supply the body with nutrients to encourage endogenous antioxidant production and also quench free radicals. The most familiar and popular best antioxidants, are vitamin C, E, betacarotene (carotenoids) etc. Others include falconoid and polyphenolic groups and their sub-classes. A vast majority of the antioxidants are available in our diet in the form of plant foods. A plethora of studies correlate the consumption of diet high in antioxidants (fruits and vegetables) to lower risk of degenerative diseases. But unfortunately it is found that we are not consuming enough of dietary antioxidants to equip ourselves from free radical damage. The most common reasons that have been identified are:

• Low intake of natural antioxidant-rich plant foods

• Loss of antioxidants in food processing, handling and storage

• Inorganic agriculture and farming practices that strips the soil of its nutrients

• Increased consumption of pseudo-foods like fries, chips, burgers etc which are not sources of antioxidants.

Tips to improve antioxidant intake

Colorful Diet: It is easy to identify antioxidant-rich foods, the more colourful the diet higher is the antioxidant intake. It should be noted that antioxidants are found in plant-based foods that are consumed fresh and those that are in less processed state.

Variety: Including plant foods from all the groups in the plant kingdom – legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, greens, fruits and vegetables ensures that our body benefits from the full spectrum of best antioxidants.

Dietary supplements!: Dietary supplements are one of the ways to increase antioxidants in your diet. The best strategy is to consume dietary supplements to include antioxidants from unique foods such as kakadu plum, olive leaf extracts, manuka honey etc which may not be a part of a daily menu. Examples include oleuropein from olive leaves and phenolic compounds from kakadu plum.