Air pollution, chemicals, food additives, physical stress and our body's normal
use of oxygen contribute to the production of harmful free radicals that damage healthy cells. Free radicals are highly unstable
compounds that carry an extra electron. By accepting the extra electron, antioxidants battle these free radicals. This process
is known as oxidation and is very similar to the browning of an apple.
The antioxidant nutrients vitamins C and
E, beta-Carotene and the mineral selenium control cell-demaging free radicals by becoming oxidized themselves. Excessive production
of these harmful agents may destroy healthy cells, affect the cell aging process and are believed to alter DNA.
If
left unchecked, free radicals or oxidants may break down your cells and tissues and may potentially lead to a variety of health
problems.
According to the Food Guide Pyramid, you should consume 3-5 servings of vegetables and 4-5 servings of fruit
each day. As a general rule of thumb, choose yellow or orange fruits and vegetables, as well as green leafy vegetables.
Examples are:
Citrus fruits, apricots, pumpkin, carrots,
spinach and brocoli.
Do you need more antioxidants in your diet?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may need to add more antioxidants to your diet.
- Do you smoke cigarettes?.
- Do you eat fewer than 6 servings of fruit or
vegetables per day?
- Do you have more than 2 alcohol beverages per day?
- Do
you live close to a city or an industrial manufacturing complex?
- Do exercise regularly?
Free radicals are highly reactive compounds that are created in the body during normal metabolic functions or
introduced from the environment. Free radicals are inherently unstable, since they contain "extra" energy. To reduce
their energy load, free radicals react with certain chemicals in the body, and in the process, interfere with the cells'
ability to function normally. Antioxidants work in several ways: they may reduce the energy of the free radical, stop the
free radical from forming in the first place, or interrupt an oxidizing chain reaction to minimize the damage caused by free
radicals.
Free radicals are believed to play a role in more than sixty different health conditions, including the
aging process, cancer, and atherosclerosis. Reducing exposure to free radicals and increasing intake of antioxidant nutrients
has the potential to reduce the risk of free radical-related health problems.
Oxygen, although essential to life,
is the source of the potentially damaging free radicals. Free radicals are also found in the environment. Environmental sources
of free radicals include exposure to ionizing radiation (from industry, sun exposure, cosmic rays, and medical X-rays), ozone
and nitrous oxide (primarily from automobile exhaust), heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium, and lead), cigarette smoke
(both active and passive), alcohol, unsaturated fat, and other chemicals and compounds from food, water, and air.
The body produces several antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase,
that neutralize many types of free radicals. Supplements of these enzymes are available for oral administration. However,
their absorption is probably minimal at best. Supplementing with the "building blocks" the body requires to make
SOD, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase may be more effective. These building block nutrients include the minerals manganese,
zinc, and copper for SOD and selenium for glutathione peroxidase.
In addition to enzymes, many vitamins and minerals
act as antioxidants in their own right, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, vitamin B2, coenzyme
Q10, and cysteine (an amino acid). Herbs, such as bilberry, turmeric (curcumin), grape seed or pine bark extracts, and ginkgo
can also provide powerful antioxidant protection for the body.
Consuming a wide variety of antioxidant enzymes,
vitamins, minerals, and herbs may be the best way to provide the body with the most complete protection against free radical
damage.
