subject: Antioxidants: Critical For Good Health [print this page] Everyone has heard about the importance of a balanced diet for maintaining good health. Similarly, everyone knows that they should be getting exercise - or at the very least adding more activity into their days. Getting a good night's sleep is essential - without it, you'll find that your immune system starts to slack off a bit and you put yourself at a greater risk for catching a cold or coming down with the flu.
We all know what we should be doing, but let's be honest: most people do not eat well all of the time.. It's far too easy to simply hop on the elevator instead of taking the stairs, or to search for a nearby parking spot instead of taking the extra steps to get some exercise.. Unfortunately, we also seem to allow stress, work, fatigue, social engagements, etc., to interfere with our ability to get enough nourishing sleep..
If we don't take the time or effort to take care of ourselves, our immune system becomes suppressed and we become more susceptible to illness and disease.. Before you know it, lethargy creeps in.. This sluggishness not only slows us down, it also ages us prematurely.
Fortunately, there's something that we can do to counteract some of these effects. Adding antioxidants to our diet can help us to maintain our vitality and also decrease our risk of disease..
What are antioxidants? The simplest answer is that antioxidants are plant-derived compounds that help prevent and repair cellular damage. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, lycopene and resveratrol are all examples of antioxidants that are found in fruits and vegetables. By making an effort to add antioxidants to our diet, we can slow the cellular damage that leads to disease.
Essentially, antioxidants are like sponges that soak up the free radicals in our bodies.. Excess free radicals are generated by the less healthy foods that we eat, alcohol that we drink, smoke that we're exposed to, and stress that we endure.
Free radicals cause cellular damage at the molecular level, and can damage our DNA as well.. Antioxidants roam around the body inactivating the free radicals and also assisting in damage repair. If the damage is not repaired, the cells could die, malfunction, or replicate uncontrollably (for example, a tumor).. You can fight back against free radicals by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet.
