The benefits of antioxidants have been hotly debated by the medical community. However many people continue to buy antioxidants and now the evidence clearly indicates that a natural antioxidant supplement and foods high in antioxidants are very beneficial.
What are Antioxidants?
They are molecules that bind with other molecules called “free radicals.” These free radicals are molecules with an unpaired electron. When they interact with other molecules they begin a chain reaction by pulling electrons from these other molecules.
This process is known as oxidation and is a chain reaction, which damages our cells on a molecular level. Antioxidants prevent this by providing donating an electron to these reactive molecules and preventing oxidation.
Thus the benefits of antioxidants are that they prevent dangerous oxidation reactions and help keep our tissues stable on a molecular level. Foods high in antioxidants as well as a natural antioxidant supplement in varying forms provide this protection.
Supplements vs Food – Which Form is Best?
There are arguments nutritionists as to the effectiveness of foods high in antioxidants compared to the same nutrients in pill or capsule form. Foods often have important “co-factors” which are important for the antioxidants to be absorbed and utilized properly.
However a quality natural antioxidant supplement will often be formulated with the nutritional co-factors needed to work effectively. This is why it is vitally important that you purchase good quality supplements and not cheap ones.
So the answer to the question of which is best is to say that nutrients are best in their natural state, but that both foods high in antioxidants and supplements both provide the benefits of antioxidants and so both have a place in your antiaging nutritional program.
Natural Antioxidant Supplement Examples
- Vitamin A – Beta Carotene
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Green Tea
- Alpha Lipoic Acid
- Super Oxide Dismutase
- Pycnogenol
- Coenzyme Q-10
- Ascorbyl Palmitate
- N Acetyl Carnosine
- Resveratrol
- Selenium
- Glutathione
- Idebenone
This is by no means a complete list, but the major ones have been included. Some of these supplements are included in formulas, along with other vitamins, enzymes, and other nutritional co-factors to increase the benefits of antioxidants.
Foods High in Antioxidants
The following foods are known to be rich in antioxidants. All of the foods in this category are too numerous to list, but these are among the most potent sources of food borne antioxidants.
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Apples
- Plums
- Raspberries
- Prunes
- Russet Potato
- Artichoke
- Black Beans
- Red Kidney Beans
- Small Red Beans
- Mangosteen
- Dark Chocolate
- Various other phytonutrients
Synergistic Effects of Antioxidants
All antioxidants do not work in the same ways, because the oxidation reactions they prevent are different as well. One antioxidant might be effective against “hydroxl” radicals, others may be effective against “sulfide” radicals, and so on.
For this reason you should consume as wide a variety of foods high in antioxidants as possible, and your natural antioxidant supplement should contain multiple antioxidants so as to quench as many different oxidation reactions as possible and increase the benefits of antioxidants.
Often different substances work together in what is called a “synergistic” effect, which means that together they are more effective than each one taken alone. This effect is seen in many nutrients because the body works in unison and isolated nutrients are rarely utilized as well as nutrients in the form of whole foods, or whole food based supplements.
To Sum Up
Include a wide variety of foods high in antioxidants in your diet
Use a high quality natural antioxidant supplement
As with all supplements, rotate quality brands from time to time.
Avoid fast foods, junk food, alcohol, and other substances which cause oxidation in the body
This approach will allow you to avoid harmful oxidation reactions that damage body tissues and cause acceleration of the aging process. Using the steps outlined above will allow you to maximize the benefits of antioxidants and safeguard your health.
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