As there are so many foods now advertised as ‘rich in antioxidants’, I thought I’d let you know just what antioxidants are, why you need them, and the best foods to eat to obtain a good supply.
We can’t help producing free radicals – they occur as part of breathing and moving and metabolising food. Fighting off infection creates free radicals too. Our bodies have an in-built capability to deal with a certain amount of these destructive molecules. But then we pick up extra free radicals from modern life: pollution, as well as radiation from the sun, and cigarette smoke. The best way to deal with the damaging effects of modern life is to strengthen your body’s ability to fight free radicals effectively: increase your intake of antioxidants.
In the process of creating energy, molecules within your cells exchange electrons. As part of this, some molecules are left unbalanced, missing an electron. They are desperate to become balanced again, and will quickly steal an electron from another molecule. This can set off a cascade of destructive biochemical reactions that damage cell membranes and your DNA; making you more susceptible to the chronic diseases of aging like cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
The more free radicals you’re exposed to, and the lower your antioxidant status, the faster you’re likely to age. That’s why people who smoke cigarettes tend to look older than the rest of us.
Many of our foods already contain these antioxidants, particularly foods that contain vitamin C, vitamin E, or any of the many minerals that go into making new antioxidants within the body.
In our food, you can find antioxidants in all raw fruits and vegetables.
You can arrange for a test of your own free radical status through your naturopath. They will do a urine test which measures the amount of malondialdehyde, a by-product of free radical formation.
If you are keen to slow the ageing process, or speed up your recovery from chronic illness, you can take antioxidant supplements. There are many different varieties, and each works in a different way to achieve the same outcome. One of the best is superoxide dismutase, which works to halt the free radical cascade as soon as it begins.
Even if you’re taking antioxidant supplements, you still need to make sure your diet contains plenty of fresh raw fruits and vegetables. You could enjoy some fresh fruit with your breakfast, a freshly prepared vegetable juice with your lunch, and some fresh berries or red grapes for dessert. All these foods will help boost your antioxidant status.
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