Stay Young and Fit With Antioxidants

All of us are afraid of growing old. Want to know the secret of slowing down aging without going under the knife? Read on to find out.

Do you ever wonder why some people tend to age more slowly than others and are still able to maintain a youthful glow? That is because of the food choices they make. More probably because they eat foods rich in anti-oxidants.

You must have heard of anti-oxidants from ads placed in magazines, medical journals, and television and radio programs. They also appear on many products ranging from hand creams to supplemental pills. But how do anti-oxidants actually work for you?

Antioxidants fight the aging process of the body. The body is not capable of producing antioxidants so you need to consume foods that contain them. Everyday, millions of cells die and are created again by the body. This process is called cellular metabolism. More energy and cells are produced by the body as it repairs damages in our system. A disadvantage of this process, however, is the production of free radicals.

Free radicals are molecules that are dangerous to the body as they steal electrons from healthy cells (they lack electrons). Some effects of this are symptomatic and asymptomatic. They manifest in the development of diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cancer and other neurological problems as we grow old. Thinner skin, wrinkles, and brittle bones become a problem as well. Free radicals are also caused by radiation and cigarette smoking. The more free radicals we have in our body increases our risk of more diseases.

Antioxidants help prevent free radicals from destroying the body by combining with them and neutralizing them. Free radicals are rendered ineffective when they are neutralized. There are no scientific studies on how to fight the bad effects of free radicals but scientists are sure though that consuming foods rich in antioxidants are of great help.

Antioxidants are not difficult to find. Just go through the grocery aisle or a farmer’s market and you can buy fruits and vegetables that are rich in it.

Examples of antioxidants include:

* Vitamin C

* Vitamin A

* Vitamin E

* Lutein

* Lycopene

* Beta-carotene

Zinc and selenium has also anti-oxidant-like properties as they increase the strength of the immune system and fight against free radicals.

Foods that also contain anti-oxidants are nuts, legumes, seafood, and red meat. A variation of food and veggies also increase anti-oxidant levels in your body and increase your chances of getting rid of diseases before they even start. Eating fruits and vegetables at their freshest ad natural form is best unlike when they are in the form of juices.

Food doesn’t only relieve hunger. The natural substances found in them are beneficial to our health so we can live longer and disease-free.

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