Antioxidants help in stalling oxidation, a normal body chemical process that occurs every day. Alcohol, tobacco smoking and stress can accelerate the process. Should a disruption in the normal oxidation process occur, highly unstable and potentially damaging molecules called free radicals are formed. Oxygen triggers this formation of such destructive chemicals, leading to body cell damage if left unchecked.
Oxidative stress is likely to occur if free radicals production overwhelms the bodys protective defenses. This stress combined by cell damage caused by free radicals is likely to trigger the early stages of cancer and heart disease. Free radicals are also linked with development of diabetes, Alzheimers disease, cataracts, kidney disease as well as age related blindness.
The human body has its own defenses against such damage. It creates antioxidants for combating the free radicals as well as protecting the cells from being attacked by oxygen. They can safely interact with the radicals and halt the chain of damaging prior to the damage happening to the cells. These helpful molecules can be gained from the diet that a person consumes.
Some minerals like manganese and selenium together with particular vitamins like Vitamins C and E are antioxidants. In addition, plant compounds such as carotene and lycopene also contain antioxidants. Numerous food types are notable antioxidant sources and can be added to a diet. Although the above mentioned compounds are contained in seafood and meats in minimal amounts, plant foods offer the main antioxidants source.
There may be a wide range of antioxidant systems out there. However, scientists are yet to figure out how the different systems in a human body work together to protect it against damage from free radicals. There is no one antioxidant that can provide the protection offered by several of them working together. Therefore, diets must be inclusive of as many of them as possible.
Eating foods that represent all the colors found in a rainbow is a recommended way of getting antioxidants in a diet. Every one of the colors has its own effects of the molecules. Vegetables and fruits that are either bright orange or deep yellow, such as carrots and sweet potatoes have one antioxidant type while red ones like tomatoes have others. Cabbage, broccoli and other green vegetables have packages of antioxidants, together with purple or blue ones like eggplants and blueberries.
Decreasing the risks of various diseases like the heart disease and cancer forms a basis of the importance of an antioxidant diet. The ideal such diets are inclusive of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. By coming up with a diet that is rich in all the above mentioned food, a person can be assured of protection from some diseases together with a lesser chance of contracting others.
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