Thursday 16 April 2009

Antioxidants and their Healing Powers Explained

Although oxygen is essential for the survival of human beings, it can also be the cause of great damage to our bodies. The oxidation of free radicals can result in the destruction of cell membranes, which can increase the body’s vulnerability to many different kinds of diseases.
One of the most effective ways to neutralize free radicals is to consume foods that are rich in antioxidants.
Antioxidants prevent free radicals from damaging the cells in our bodies. When antioxidants are introduced into the body, they act as oxidation targets for free radicals. With the presence of these new targets, the free radicals no longer have to steal oxygen atoms from our cell membranes to fulfill their need to oxidize.
Antioxidants are able to give away or accept electrons without doing any harm to our bodies, and they can keep free radicals from destroying our cells to give us optimum health.
Free radicals can contribute to the development of about sixty different types of diseases. While they can cause milder illnesses such the flu and infections, they can also contribute to occurrences of life-threatening health risks such as heart disease and cancer.
Free radicals can also damage the nerve cells of our brains and cause mental health disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, by controlling the oxidation activities of free radicals, antioxidants are actually performing essential work that can be life-saving. In addition, antioxidants may be effective in slowing down the aging of our cells and bodies.
There are a lot of fruits and vegetables that contain high levels of antioxidants, and these include berries, pink grapefruits, oranges, peaches, apricots, papayas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, red peppers, tomatoes, and carrots. There are also supplements that you can take to boost the level of antioxidants in your body.
To ensure that the free radicals in your body are under control, include foods that contain antioxidants in your daily diet.

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