Antioxidants are very important for our health. We are constantly listening and reading about their importance. We read how and how much we can use the best, what better their action for our organism.
Do we really know all the opportunities and good things that we get from antioxidants and what kind of foods contain the most in its composition?
What are antioxidants actually?
They are substances that in a very successful way to protect the cells of our body from the harmful effects of free radicals.
A large number of experts and nutritionists believe that free radicals do very great harm to the body.
It is assumed that free radicals are an important factor in the development of many diseases such as arteriosclerosis, various variations of cancer, the occurrence of heart disease,
Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease and many other chronic diseases.
Because of all these diseases, we have listed, antioxidants have a crucial and indispensable significance to combat these diseases.
According to some theories, free radicals are associated with faster aging of the body,
Antioxidants can be said to help and against the aging of our bodies.
Way of action of antioxidants. We will take the example of an apple.
When we cut it in half, after a short period we will notice that it begins to darken the surface. It is a process called oxidation.
A normal process that takes place around us, in nature, as well as in the cells in our organism. Simply oxygen comes into contact with the cells and causes them to change.
Parts of these cells die out and in their place new come to replace them. It is a normal phenomenon, and it should not pose any particular problem.
The problem occurs when some of these cells are damaged and become free radicals. Free radicals are called damaged cells.
They can cause health problems and pose a great danger to our health. They are called free because they lack an important molecule that they try to take from other cells.
Free radicals do not destroy other cells in order to get that molecule they need, they are more likely to hurt their cells.
They do damage to DNA and thus make it possible for various diseases to occur in our body. The biggest problem is the spread, that is, if one radical damage one cell, it can be transmitted very easily, in a short time a large number of cells can be damaged.
The role of antioxidants is precise to prevent the spread of damage to other cells in the body.
The various antioxidants work in the following way:
some of them still immediately prevent the occurrence of free radicals.
Others antioxidants they prevent it from forming or spreading other cells.
The last group is blocking free radicals after they appear.
In normal functioning of the cells, a small number of free radicals are created, which are not a more serious problem, as our body controls with help of the antioxidants that we have in the body created naturally.
The biggest threat is the free radicals from cigarette smoke, air pollution, and the very large consumption of alcohol.
Antioxidants.
The current fast way and living require more frequent eating foods rich in antioxidants so that our body is ready to deal with free radicals.
It is best to be intake through the diet, avoiding their intake by dietary supplements.
A rich source of them has in vegetables and fresh fruit. Of course, it should be eating different foods that contain antioxidants, because they all act in a different way.
Vitamins and minerals also act as antioxidants.
The essentials are beta carotene, vitamins C and E.
Food rich with beta carotene and carotenoids is broccoli, apricot, carrot, spinach, tomato, watermelon, mango, and corn.
Vitamin C has it in strawberries, raspberries, grapefruit, orange, tomato, peppers, cauliflower.
Sources of vitamin E are carrots, papaya, nuts, spinach, red peppers.
You can find the selenium in tuna, beef, nuts, cereals.
The zine contains in the next foods seafood, pumpkin seeds, red meat, fish.
There are also other foods that are rich with antioxidants such as green and black tea, black grapes, garlic, onions, oregano, coffee, black chocolate.