Antioxidants - Your Best Defense Against Disease and Aging
by Brad Bahr
Studies support the benefits of eating a diet rich
in fruits and vegetables. This is due to their high antioxidant value.
Why are antioxidants so important? Because they have a proven track
record of fighting free radicals.
Your body is being constantly attacked by very harmful
substances known as free radicals or oxygen radicals. Free radicals
can destroy your cells, tissues and organs.
Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that are
naturally formed inside our bodies by the process of oxidation. They
are normal by products of everyday functions like digestion and physical
activity.
Free radicals also come from outside sources, such
as smoking, environmental pollution, and synthetic chemicals that
are added to our water and food.
We are also all exposed daily to polluted air, ingest
oxidized or partially rancid foods, and oxidizing radiations from
the sun and various electrical appliances.
Free radicals lack one electron making them chemically
unstable. To stabilize themselves, they attack any other substance
within reach and steel an electron from it. This process creates a
new free radical, which repeats the process, producing a "domino
effect." When this reaction is uncontrolled, it can generate
millions of free radicals within seconds.
Fortunately our bodies come equipped with a free radical
fighting mechanism. It consists of specialized enzymes that have a
"spare" electron that they can give away without turning
into free radicals. In order to protect us, the enzymes need help
from certain substances known as antioxidants.
The antioxidant value of any food or supplement can
be determined by it's ORAC rating. ORAC means Oxygen Radical Absorbance
Capacity. According to the University of Michigan, Comprehensive Cancer
Center, the measurement of ORAC is a way to measure how many oxygen
radicals a specific food can absorb.
The more oxygen radicals a food can absorb, the higher
its ORAC score. The higher its score... the more that food or supplement
will help you fight diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Most experts agree that we should consume 5,000 ORAC
units per day to effectively fight free radicals in the body. Sadly,
most of us average around 1,200 units per day. Not nearly enough to
protect us from the common ciseases of aging.
One of the best sources of antioxidants are berries
and fruits. Most of us would have a very hard time eating the large
amounts necessary to reach 5,000 ORAC units per day. For this reason,
high ORAC supplements have been created. They contain berry and fruit
extracts with a known ORAC rating.
These supplements are inexpensive and provide many
health benefits to your entire body and brain. Many people use these
supplements as part of an anti-aging program. Keeping your cells from
being destroyed goes a long way to staying healthy and young.
About the author: Brad Bahr is the author of many
health related articles and websites. He has been testing and reviewing
health supplements for many years. You can find more interesting health
related articles at his website: http://www.findustuff.com
Did
you know that 60-70% of cancers are due to dietary factors? And, that
many of these may be prevented by changes in dietary habits? That's
right, and now there is an "answer book" for those who want
to learn more about taking control of their health.
Your Diet and Cancer is a practical tutorial designed
to give the reader valuable information about how cancers develop
and how simple changes in diet may prevent serious illness. Not to
be confused with a medical journal full of technical jargon, this
book is jam-packed with over 60 pages of down to earth information
and beautiful illustrations of the salient points.
The ideas and suggestions contained in Your Diet and
Cancer are designed to help you make informed decisions about your
health. Cancer is one of the main causes of death among humans and
your way of consuming food affects the risk. Do yourself a favor and
take control today!
Learn how antioxidants reduce the side-effects of
chemotherapy and may even make it more effective.
