Wednesday, October 31, 2007

What are Antioxidants?


Our human bodies are magnificent machines … we are capable of movement, reproduction, transporting and growth. Growth, of course, happens externally with height and weight gain, hair growth and fingernail development. Growth, however, also occurs internally with our body’s cells. Internal cells, in fact, are being constantly replaced and renewed through oxidation. “Oxidation is a very natural process (when cells and oxygen meet) that happens during normal cellular functions,” explains Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor of nutrition at Boston’s Tuft University.

But through change, cells can become damaged thus becoming free radicals. “They are ‘free’ because they are missing a critical molecule, which sends them on a rampage to pair with another molecule … free radicals often injure the cell, damaging the DNA, which creates the seed for disease”, Blumberg further notes.

Enter the antioxidant. While free radicals bounce around hither-nither within our bodies, antioxidants limit the potential harm. Without antioxidants, our cells run the similar risk of being involved in a multi-car collision, where one vehicle collides into another, which bounces off a third vehicle and so on and so on. “Antioxidants work to stop this damaging, disease-causing chain reaction that free radicals have started. Each type of antioxidant works either to prevent the chain reaction or stop it after it’s started”, states Blumberg.

Antioxidants, therefore, are a very good thing. You can help antioxidants help you by eating the proper foods. The next time you visit your grocery store, stock up your cart with these top ten antioxidant foods:


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