What are antioxidants?

Ever wondered how you acquired all those wrinkles that are so annoying for your beauty, or how you can make your diet faster? How can you improve your health naturally through the foods? Sure wrinkles are a normal part of aging. But what is causing it to our aging beauty anyway? And there is anyway something that slow? In biological systems, the normal oxidation processes are those which cause aging. Oxidation causes the production of substances called free radicals which are highly reactive. These free radicals can easily react and damage other molecules. Note that it says "molecules", which means that free radicals do not differentiate between foreign bodies and healthy cells. And when free radicals start attacking the body's cells, you can guess what the results: Aging and attack the body from many diseases.

I wish there was some way to get rid of harmful free radicals ...
 
Well, do we have good news for you? Free radicals are natural enemies of antioxidants. The function of antioxidants is to destroy harmful free radicals by neutralizing the tissue damage and in fact, the aging process or to catch up. Antioxidants are commonplace in nature.

In fact, the antioxidants are abundant in most common vitamins such as retinol or vitamin A, ascorbic acid or vitamin C, tocopherol or the vitamin E and selenium.
It may be nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that help chemical reactions). Antioxidants are thought to play an important role in preventing the development of such chronic diseases as heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and cataracts. Although antioxidants can not relieve our body completely by free radicals, however, can slow or minimize the damage caused. Antioxidants block the process of oxidation by neutralizing free radicals. With the neutralization, and these are oxidized. Therefore, the body always needs a constant source of antioxidants.

Antioxidants perform two-way process.
First break the chain. Here, antioxidants come to break the chain reaction of free radicals and convert other molecules into free radicals, as are also the same. The chain breaking also called stabilization.

The other view is more relevant prudential side.
Antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase enzyme, the enzyme catalase and glutathione peroxidase prevent oxidation by reducing the starting speed of the chain. This time, instead of waiting for the free radicals to make a long chain of free radicals, antioxidants scavenge free radicals and destroy them before the oxidation. Thus, aging is delayed and also avoid other diseases and diseases caused by harmful free radicals.

Foods rich in antioxidants
Sometimes the best foods rich in antioxidants may be the most unexpected. Blueberries or Kyanokokkoi bilberry (Vaccinium Cyanococcus - (blueberries) may be the poster child for foods rich in antioxidants, but few of us know that the humble bean may be a candidate antioxidant. A new study shows that beans can join the food family, which is rich in antioxidants which include similar types of berries, spices and potatoes. The largest and most advanced to date analysis of foods rich in antioxidants, shows that antioxidants that fight diseases can be found in the most unlikely of fruits and vegetables. Beans, artichokes, even reddish potatoes, can be rich in antioxidants. Researchers found particularly that small red beans are among the top foods that are rich in antioxidants in the category of beans. In fact, research shows that they contain more antioxidants to fight disease than their wild and the cultivated kyanomyrtillous. It has always been known that cranberries contain a high amount of antioxidants and in recent years became even more famous as those with a high content of antioxidants. This new study, however, it seems that the small red bean stealing the limelight. Other foods rich in antioxidants in which the study focused include nuts and spices, such as cloves, cinnamon and oregano. What dismissed the consumers antioxidants that time is generally consumed in much smaller quantities than fruits and vegetables. The study used modern technology to assess the antioxidants found in over 100 foods, including fruits, vegetables, cereals, bread, nuts and spices. Were analyzed for each food on antioxidant concentration and rank ordered according to their antioxidant capacity per serving size.

The blueberries and Cranberries ranked highest in the series between the fruits tested. The beans, artichokes, and the reddish potatoes was on top of vegetables. Moreover, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts was first in the category of dried fruits and clove, cinnamon and oregano were the top three foods rich in antioxidants in the category of spices. However, the researchers noted that the total antioxidant capacity of foods rich in antioxidants does not necessarily imply a potential health benefits. It appears that a major factor in the health benefits of antioxidants are what are shown in digestion within the absorption process. In recent years, food rich in antioxidants is said to help prevent even the treatment of a multitude of diseases mainly caused by harmful free radicals that attack healthy, normal cells. By destroying these free radicals, antioxidants not only stop the chain reaction of free radicals, and repair damaged cells. Antioxidants have been associated with the treatment of cancer diseases, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

Directory Antioxidant Food
You probably have heard the saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Well, the same may be true for cherries and berries. Just recently, the USDA published a list of the most antioxidant foods. To this list of antioxidant foods, nutritionists reviewed the "total antioxidant capacity" of individual foods. Foods rich in antioxidants contained in the list of antioxidant foods are those that have antioxidant properties with a value above 2000. Here are 12 of these foods to be included in the list of one's own antioxidant foods.

List of antioxidant foods: fruits Category
In the category list in the fruit antioxidant foods, including raw fruits are plums or dried plums, blackberries, and cherries. These three fruit is said to contain the highest concentration of antioxidants of all fruits tested. "Summer is the best time to consume all the healthy foods that are in season," the graduate dietitian Lauren Niemes said "even better when the high season locally grown."

List of antioxidant foods: vegetables Category
Many of the vegetables are on the list of antioxidant foods, and between raw are artichokes, red cabbage, and potatoes reddish. The beans and Brussels sprouts also said to have a high antioxidant capacity.

List of antioxidant foods: Category nuts
Of all the nuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts are the most antioxidants. Particularly pecans said to contain the largest number of antioxidant compounds and definitely topped the list of antioxidant foods.

The dietician Lauren Niemes said that scientists have recently discovered new sources of antioxidants. He said that "Although we believe many antioxidants found in vitamins A, C, E ... Scientists discover that there are other substances in foods that have antioxidant properties." Previously, the list of antioxidant food containing only fruits and vegetables rich in the above vitamins and some minerals, such as selenium. Now, the list of antioxidant foods contain more fresh products were not in the previous list.

Oregano, cinnamon and cloves are spices included in the list of antioxidant foods. Antioxidants are said to affect the free radicals that damage cells. Stopping the proliferation of free radicals and converting otherwise healthy molecules into free radicals, antioxidants help to prevent massive damage by free radicals. Antioxidants have been associated with the treatment or prevention of cancer and heart disease. Also said to reverse memory loss. Although studies largely contradictory with antioxidant supplements, there is no doubt about the benefits of antioxidants that are of the nature in fruits and vegetables that we eat every day.

Antioxidant protection Supplements
Because many times our diets lack in many antioxidant substances supplements help in getting specific substances, many of which are of particular antioxidant activity and act against free radicals. Supplements contain specially designed formula which fully meets the needs for antioxidant activity.