The power of antioxidants are becoming well known. They help the body to fight free radicals, they can slow the aging process, help prevent disease and promote a vibrant and healthy lifestyle. To take advantage of these benefits, it’s necessary to know which fruits are high in antioxidants. They may be enjoyed as is or in juice blends, smoothies or other types of supplements. People with dietary concerns, however, will want to consult a doctor before embarking on a rigorous diet program.
Fruits and vegetables are the biggest source of dietary antioxidants. Fruits like blueberries, strawberries, pomegranates, Acai and Goji berries are excellent sources of powerful antioxidants. To get a proper daily serving of antioxidants, it is recommended to get 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
ORAC is the standard measurement of the total antioxidant power of food. ORAC is short for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. Nutritionist recommended we consume approximately 5000 ORAC units per day to offset the damaging effects of free radicals. However with today’s hectic lifestyles and time-crunched schedules getting even one serving a fresh fruit or vegetables into your diet can be a challenge.
- Acai berries - touted as a super food, acai ranks high on the ORAC antioxidant scale and is growing in popularity as an additive to smoothies and snacks.
- Black Chokeberries - also known as the aronia berry, the quinic acid contained within combines with antioxidant properties to help with urinary problems.
- Blueberries - delicious and tart, blueberries can assist with urinary infections and eliminating free radicals known to cause memory loss
- Kiwi - rich in vitamins, kiwi can promote good cardiovascular health
- Apricots - apricots are high in antioxidants and beta-carotene, which is helpful for improving eyesight
- Purple Grapes - these sweet fruits contribute to the antioxidant content of red wine, and are just as potent on their own
- Pomegranates - a high polyphenol count makes pomegranates a staple for the dieter interested in good health
Natural antioxidants can bring you many health benefits. It is now proven that regular consumption of antioxidant foods works as cancer prevention. Also antioxidants are great anti-aging agents.
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Antioxidants, according to Wikipedia are molecules that are capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions are crucial to our existence, but they can also be damaging. This is why plants and animals maintain complex systems of multiple types of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E as well as enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and various peroxidases. Wikipedia continues to explain that low levels of antioxidants can cause oxidative stress, which may actually damage or kill cells.
Most commonly, antioxidants are used in the form of various medications that are then used to help treat various medical problems. However, many people are not aware of the fact that the brain is extremely vulnerable to oxidative injury due to its high metabolic rate and elevated levels of polyunsaturated lipids. Antioxidants are currently under much scrutiny in the medical field. Among other uses, antioxidants are being considered in treatments for such neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In 2007, WebMD published an article, which revealed that a recent human study had revealed that use of the antioxidant supplements beta-carotene, vitamin E or vitamin A slightly increased a person’s risk of death. The study also showed that there were no benefits or harm for using vitamin C supplements. The article explains how oxidative stress is caused by reactive “free radical” compounds circulating in the blood, which is a key factor in most diseases.
Non synthetic 100% natural vitamins are the a great way for maintaining your health because they can be absorbed by your body unlike synthetic. Synthetic vitamins are known for their immediate change to the body making you think they are absorbing if at all. With whole food vitamins there is no “multivitamin” because if you were to obtain the proper nourishment to any organ or area of the body it is better to treat that part of the body specifically one at a time.
With natural supplements smell the vitamins - Do they smell like chemicals? Or food? The other think to note is that whole food natural supplements are a longer term thing and health professionals that prescribe these say it takes the body three months to properly correct a health issue when feeding the area of the body in need.
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Raw chocolate made from unprocessed cacao beans is a high vegetarian source of magnesium, chromium, sulphur and vitamin C. On the antioxidant scale, cacao beats blueberries, green tea and goji berries hands down!
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Every day we are exposed to air pollution, sunlight, smoke and more, all which create “free radicals”. The food we eat can also contribute to free radical damage and inflammation. Refined sugar, soft drink, white bread, pasta and excess coffee all contribute to the chemical reactions that produce free radicals. Among other effects in the body, free radicals attack your skin’s collagen layer, accelerating the creation of fine lines and wrinkles. This process is called, “photo aging”. Much research has been done with regard to the benefits of antioxidants to combat the production of free radicals. Recent research has shown us that topical Vitamin C can help to improve skin tone and elasticity, helps re-build collagen and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Good food sources of antioxidants are fruit and vegetables. Two serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables per day is a healthy aim. Choose as many different coloured fruits and vegetables as you can for a rich variety of antioxidants. If you don’t already, challenge yourself to reach this goal of 7 serves per day. You will soon notice a difference in your skin health if you choose fruit and vegetables over refined sugars and “white” foods.
The first thing to realize about the aging process and about antioxidant anti-aging solutions is that scientists don’t know that much about the aging process as a whole. Antioxidants have a lot to do with how your body digests and processes food and then converts it into energy. The role of antioxidants in the aging process is still in its research infancy.
As you eat, substances known as free radicals appear during the processing of your food energy. These substances contribute to aging and to the development of diseases, but anti aging antioxidants can help neutralize these free radicals. The antioxidants work by flooding your body with more vitamins and nutrients to eliminate free radicals.
Antioxidant antiaging solutions, like any anti aging product, is designed to fight the causes aging. In this case, the anti aging product is fighting free radicals. Antioxidants also fight off chronic heart conditions and diabetes by staving off the effects of the free radicals.
Supplement antiaging types such as antioxidant antiaging solutions greatly influence free radicals and their production by infusing the body with more vitamins. Antioxidant anti aging types include vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E and even folic acid. Supplement anti aging types such as these can be greatly helpful for overall physical health.
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Health and nutrition experts have increasingly come to recognize the value of taking a synergistic blend of potent antioxidants, the cancer-fighting, health-promoting nutrients that help boost the immune system naturally. Heres a summary of major antioxidants that should be considered for daily intake . . .
Researchers analyzed data from the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET). They focused on blood samples from 278 subjects with prostate cancer and 483 matched subjects without cancer. They analyzed blood levels of several carotenoids, including lutein vitamin A and vitamin E (alpha and gamma tocopherols), then identified correlations between those levels and the risk of lung and prostate cancer.
Results: In the overall population, the highest intakes of lutein, zeaxanthin and alpha-tocopherol were associated with a significantly lower risk of lung cancer. Women with the highest blood levels of lutein, zeaxanth in and beta-cryptoxanthin had the lowest risk of developing lung cancer. The risk reduction associated with these nutrients was 69% for lutein zeaxanthin. Men with the highest blood levels of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) were 41% less likely to develop prostate cancer.
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