Exercise, Nutrition, Motivation, And All Things Fitness!

Antioxidants – Key Nutrients That Protect Our Bodies!

Every day we hear the term “antioxidants” and that they can protect us from “free radical damage”.  But what does that really mean, how do they protect us, and how does that affect our health and fitness goals?  What do they actually do?

We’ve all seen an apple start to turn brown soon after it’s cut. We’ve also seen metal rust over time when left exposed. Those are examples of oxidation. Our bodies are also subject to the effects of oxidation, from the wrinkles on our skin to the decline of our vision. Our bodies are constantly being attacked by highly reactive molecules known as free radicals.  When oxygen molecules within our body break down they lose one of their electrons. These broken-down molecules then seek to replace their lost electrons by binding with and stealing electrons from healthy cells, damaging those cells, and creating more free radicals in the process.

This cellular breakdown or damage has been linked to the acceleration or cause of numerous diseases including cancer, heart disease, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, cataracts, Parkinson’s disease, and others.  What antioxidants do is bind with these free radicals by donating one of their electrons thereby protecting us from further assault.  Since free radicals are created in the body from normal metabolic processes (like converting food to energy) as well as environmental factors (like sunlight, pollutants, and even exercise) our bodies are in constant need of antioxidant protection.

Where Are They:
Fortunately, the great thing about antioxidants is that they are readily available.  They can be found in numerous foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and even some meats, fish, and poultry.  They can even be produced by the body as enzymes.  Vitamin C is the main water-soluble antioxidant and Vitamin E is the primary fat-soluble antioxidant.  And there are many substances that, while not “antioxidants” by definition, have “antioxidant properties” in terms of what they do, halt the activity of free radicals.

Food Sources:
Many of our favorite “fitness foods” are great sources of antioxidants.  It is often the most brightly colored fruits and vegetables (nature’s way of getting our attention?) that are the best things for us; Broccoli, carrots, mangoes, squash, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, collards, kale, and other leafy greens, sweet potatoes, onions, black, kidney and other beans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, almonds and other nuts, oranges, lemons, limes, mangoes, pink grapefruit, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, acai berries, cherries, and other berries, raisins, red grapes, apples, watermelon, peaches, nectarines, green, black and other teas, red wine, fish and shellfish, flax seeds, oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and vegetable oil, are all rich in antioxidants!

Try to include a wide variety of these food items in your diet as combining multiple antioxidant sources is considered to be the most effective way to utilize them.  If you find yourself being limited in what you are able to consume (the average person only gets 3 of the recommended 6-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day) then using a supplement source of antioxidants in addition to your food choices is a practice pursued by many who seek optimal health. Vitamin A, beta-carotene (and other carotenoids), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Lycopene, Lutein, Coenzyme Q10, Zinc, manganese, glutathione, lipoic acid, and others are all significant antioxidants or co-factors.  Although these can effectively be taken in supplement form, we still want to first get as much as we can from regularly consuming them via quality whole food sources.

Research has also shown that topically applied antioxidants (in addition to sunscreen and avoiding excessive sun exposure) can add to the natural defense capabilities of the skin’s pigment cells in combating free radical damage.  Skincare products containing Vitamins A, C, and E can potentially be good for your health.

Antioxidants are a key class of nutrients for everyone.  Regularly consuming an adequate amount will help protect our bodies from the cellular wear and tear of free radical damage that constantly threatens us.  Looking and feeling great all stem from a base of good health.  Nutritional support from antioxidants can be a significant part of making optimal health a reality.

Click Here to See My Favorite Daily Antioxidant!

Top Quality Natural Nutritional Supplements!

1 Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements for Active Individuals -

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.