by Broken Blade

Created on: August 24, 2009

There is lately a lot of talk about antioxidants, especially in relationship to free radicals. These days, more and more people are looking for ways to be healthier and they usually seek it from medicine. But there are some natural nutrients that can boost health, and antioxidants are one of them. Antioxidants are found in many fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, grapes, blueberries, apples, oranges, pineapples, corn, peppers, carrots, spinach, broccoli, etc. Antioxidants have many health benefits. Many of them will prolong your life and enhance the quality of your life.

One of the health benefits of antioxidants is that they rid the body of free radicals. Free radicals are what cause a destructive process in our cells by causing the cells molecules to become unstable. They are suspect to be a key player in the cause of cancer cell formation by way of a sort of chain reaction effect which can cause damage to other cells. This is not a surprising conclusion because many fruits are commonly reported to play a key role in cancer prevention. In short, free radicals are what cause the body to begin to self destruct.

A huge factor in many of todays diseases and disorders are oxidative damage which is caused by free radicals. We get them from bodily processes, sunburn, smoking, exposure to pollution, and even some medications. Free radicals while easy to get can have a potentially life threatening effect on our bodies.

Antioxidants are not only able to prevent cell damage, but it is even able to repair damaged cells, restoring your overall health. But how do you get antioxidants. The best way to do it is by eating more servings of fruits and vegetables in a day, preferably five servings. It is better if you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables so you can get a wider range of nutrients and antioxidants from your diet, seeing as no one fruit or vegetable contains a good source of all antioxidants.

Some of the well known antioxidants are Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Selenium, melatonin, Vitamin E, etc. Some of the benefits of antioxidants are strengthening of the immune system, stronger bones, smoother bodily functions, asthma relief, blood sugar control, heart pressure regulation, slowing down and in some cases reversing the aging process due to cellular damage, smoother more vibrant skin, improving brain function and preventing or reducing the risk of mental illnesses like dementia or alzheimers, etc. Antioxidants are extremely vital to the well being of everyone. A regular consumption of antioxidants is recommended in order to avoid critical, and even life threatening diseases.

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