What Are Antioxidant Supplements And Why Are They Needed?

We hear much about antioxidant food supplements daily in every media

. They are talked about in sources from the reputable and famous Dr. Oz to bombarding advertising about these amazing health-giving daily doses of wonderfulness that protect from aging and disease. What is the truth about antioxidants? Is our money well-spent on these supplements or are they just modern snake oil? If these supplements are all they're cracked up to be, which of the many competing supplements offer the most bang for the buck?

To understand antioxidants, it is first necessary to understand free radicals, or oxidants. Simply put, free radicals are atoms in our bodies that are missing an electron. Since atoms need to have equal numbers of positive protons and negative electrons orbiting the neutral nucleus to be stable, the free radical atom seeks to regain stability by stealing an electron from another atom. That makes the "victim" atom a free radical looking for an electron to steal from another atom and so on. This results in unstable molecules that damage the body's cell membranes and their ability to function properly in bringing in nutrients and oxygen and expelling waste.

Free radicals are a byproduct of natural body processes. They are significantly amplified by exposure to pollution, sunlight, chemical toxins, cigarette smoke, alcohol, and some foods, especially highly processed foods. The cellular damage done by free radicals is linked to premature aging, particularly damage to the skin's collagen, and degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Antioxidants, as the name implies, neutralize free radicals by replacing that needed electron to stabilize the cells. Antioxidants not only prevent cell damage by quickly neutralizing free radicals, but can also reverse damage that has already occurred.

Clearly, adding antioxidant rich foods to the daily diet is a valuable resource for the body's health. Foods naturally rich in antioxidants include fruits such as berries, grapes, oranges, plums, pineapple, and grapefruit. Colorful vegetables including peppers, spinach, kale, red beets, and Brussel sprouts are good sources. With today's increased exposure to pollution and other sources of free radical introduction, it is almost impossible to eat enough food to get the antioxidants needed to successfully neutralize all of them. This is why antioxidant supplementation is so valuable and recommended.

There are excellent antioxidant supplements available. A particularly powerful class of antioxidant is the OPC antioxidant that has been demonstrated to be 50 times more effective than Vitamin E, a celebrated antioxidant in foods. OPC antioxidant is made from grape seed extract, pine bark extract, and red wine extract, and provides the protection needed from free radical damage.

by: Art Gib

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