“Antioxidants are good for you!”
Numerous scientific studies confirm that antioxidants can be beneficial and others are inconclusive.
What is important is to be aware that antioxidants taken as food or supplements can be beneficial, but they are not the equivalent of a magic potion and should be taken a part of a balanced diet.
Antioxidants are found in fresh fruit, in vegetables, in meat and sea food.
There are many types of antioxidants our bodies need. (Just like there are many types of free radicals).
It is just about impossible to eat all the antioxidant rich food we need. The recommended intake is five handfuls a day of fruit and vegetables.
Some studies have shown a negative impact from over supplementing. The positive side is that with a natural intake, in other words by eating fresh fruit, our bodies absorb the amounts we need and eliminate the extra and not needed antioxidants.
(There are cases of slight skin pigmentation caused by heavy eating of carrots or papayas, but that is it).
Anything taken to extremes brings about a loss of balance, and many times works against the set goal.
Too thin, too fat, too angry, too happy; too hot, too cold – all these examples of extremes are detrimental and the same thing happens with antioxidants, especially with supplements.
So what are antioxidant benefits?
- Antioxidants combat free radicals that damage our cells by oxidizing them
- Cells can be damaged by free radicals, especially the membrane and these cells can die, and so we have aging. Or it can suffer other types of damage and as a result there can be heart disease, different types of cancer, Alzheimer’s and other cell related illnesses.
Antioxidants work against this cell damage.
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