What Are Antioxidants? Learn More.

by admin on June 24, 2011

Antioxidants Explained & Why Your Body Need It

Antioxidants are an army of soldiers your body relies on daily for its protection against the ‘enemies’ inside and outside of your body. Daily, we are exposed to pollution, exhaust fumes, toxins in our environment, cigarette smoke, highly processed foods, pesticides, herbicides, and more pollutants that occur in our environment which is doing damage everyday and every time that we are exposed to it.

Pollution and environmental toxins are full of free radicals which invade the body and gradually create damage. The human body produces antioxidants which fight off free radicals and keep the body healthy, however as time goes on, more and more free radicals are being produced and entering our bodies which reduces the amount of antioxidants that are available to fight them.

Free radicals cause a variety of problems for the human body including, premature aging, poor circulation, mental detritions, liver damage, a lack of energy, bruising, heart disease and even cancer.

Replenishing

It is imperative that the body has a plentiful store of antioxidants to draw from in order to effectively fight the free radicals that invade the body. Because of the constant bombardment of environmental stresses on the body, the antioxidants are being used up and it becomes necessary for us to ingest antioxidants in order to help fight the war on free radicals.

Source of AntiOxidants

Fortunately there are many sources of antioxidants that are available to us. Some common sources are Vitamin E which is found in wheat germ oil, nuts and seeds, whole grains, egg yolks, and leafy green vegetables and Vitamin C which can be found in broccoli, citrus fruits, brussel sprouts, potatoes, parsley and strawberries. Beta carotene which can be found in dark green leafy vegetables and orange and yellow vegetables, lutein is found in kale, leeks, spinach, collard greens, romaine lettuce, peas and egg yolks, and lycopene which is found primarily in tomatoes, are also great sources.

Vitamin B2 which is commonly found in dairy products, eggs and meat products. Coenzyme Q10 which is found in fish and meat and cysteine which is found in most high protein foods are also excellent antioxidants. Herbs such as bilberry, turmeric, and grape seed are also rich sources of antioxidants.

Our Recommendation

Antioxidants taken through supplements are not as potent as those delivered via fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The best way to ensure that your body has enough antioxidants is to consume a wide variety of enzymes, vitamins, minerals and herbs to properly arm yourself against free radicals. But be sure to load up on fruits and vegetables too. We choose to take Total Balance by Xtend Life as it is specifically formulated to fight free radicals.