Antioxidants and Your Body

There are a range of diseases such as cancer, heart ailments, strokes, sicknesses attached with aging, etc that can be prevented by antioxidants. Antioxidants help cleaning the injurious free radicals from the human body.

There is a set of organic compounds that helps destroying the harmful free radicals. The collections include vitamins ” C and E, minerals ” selenium, pigments ” beta-carotene carotenoids. The carotenoids are the reason behind the pulsating colors of different fruits and vegetables.

The harmful free radicals can destroy cell walls and other cellular structures, cellular genetics, etc. Over time, these ill effects can enlarge into illness. The antioxidants help cleaning up the harmful free radicals and assist in keeping healthy.

Biochemical research and heaps of clinical trials have been performed, and results have been exposed. Smokers who consume their diets with elevated carotenoids have a relatively lower risk of developing lung cancer. High carotenoids may also be preventative for breast cancers. Antioxidant vitamin C has also been proven to stop the creation of a cancer causing substance from nitrates in foods ” N-nitroso compounds.

The human body produces number antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, that destroy many types of destructive free radicals. Supplements of these enzymes are available for oral administration.

The efficient working of the human body can be attained by supplying the nutrients necessary for the manufacturing of those essential antioxidative enzymes. The mineral selenium is crucial for glutathione peroxidase, where as superoxide dismutase requires manganese, zinc, copper as essential minerals for production.

In addition to superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, many vitamins and minerals are helpful antioxidants in their own way, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, vitamin B2, lycopene, coenzyme Q10, and cysteine amino acid. Many herbs such as bilberry, grape seed, turmeric, ginkgo, milk thistle and green tea also hold powerful antioxidant properties.

The antioxidant activity decreases with age of the human body, thus many health care specialists claim that the elderly, especially those with a reduced food intake, heavy drinkers, frequent aspirin users, smokers and individuals with immune problems may benefit greatly by taking daily antioxidant supplements. Higher levels of antioxidants in the body are certain to help preventing life threatening diseases.

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