Get
your antioxidants the natural way – through your diet
You may have about the importance of
antioxidants in the diet, and their possible role in fighting a variety of
illnesses, including some kinds of cancer, age related degeneration and heart
disease.
You could also be forgiven for thinking
that antioxidant vitamins are things that come in pills, powders and
capsules. The marketing of antioxidant
vitamin supplements, such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E, is intense and
relentless. While vitamin supplements
can be helpful, however, the majority of antioxidant vitamins should come from
food, not from vitamin supplements.
It is important to understand how
antioxidant vitamins work to protect the body from harm. Antioxidants work by combining with and
neutralizing harmful elements known collectively as free radicals. Free radicals are produced naturally by the
body, as a consequence of a number of natural bodily processes. Most of the time, the body is able to
neutralize and eliminate these free radicals on its own.
However, stresses such as environmental
pollution, a weakened immune system, UV radiation and alcohol consumption can
lower the body’s ability to fight these free radicals.
Excessive free radicals in the human body
can cause damage to the structure and function of the various organs and
systems in the body. Recent studies have
implicated free radicals in a number of diseases, including cancer and heart
disease. In addition, free radicals are
thought to play a significant role in the aging process.
It is estimated that foods contain some
4,000 different compounds that have antioxidant qualities. Since only a small number of these compounds
have been identified, and a lesser amount yet have been synthesized, it is easy
to see why it is so hard for vitamin supplements to replace a healthy
diet. Healthy, antioxidant containing
foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, contain a variety of vitamins,
minerals, trace elements and other micronutrients in addition to the antioxidants
that have been identified by science.
There are many major vitamins that have
been found to have strong antioxidant qualities. Perhaps the most well known, and the most
studied, of these antioxidant vitamins is vitamin C. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is
water soluble and is found in all the tissues and fluids of the body. Since vitamin C is not stored in the body, it
is important that everyone’s diet contain plenty of vitamin C.
Good sources of vitamin C in the diet
include citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits, green peppers, broccoli,
strawberries, cabbage and potatoes. Dark
green leafy vegetables are also good sources of vitamin C.
Vitamin E is another popular member of the
antioxidant family, and it is thought to play an important role in protecting
the body from aging. Vitamin E may not
be the cure all wonder that it was once thought to be, but it is still an
important protector of the body.
Good sources of dietary vitamin E include
nuts, seeds, wheat germ, whole grain breads, vegetable oil, fish oil and dark
green leafy vegetables.
Beta carotene is also an important
antioxidant vitamin, and it is important to a number of bodily processes. The role of beta carotene in the natural
world is to protect the skins of yellow and orange vegetables and fruits from
the damaging rays of the sun. It is
believed that beta carotene plays the same sort of role in human
nutrition. That is, beta carotene is thought
to be important in protecting people from the damage caused by environmental
pollution, UV rays, etc.
Beta carotene rich foods include yellow and
orange vegetables and fruits such as carrots, yellow squash, sweet potatoes,
cantaloupes, peaches and apricots. In
addition, dark green leafy vegetables such as collard greens and broccoli, and
fruits like tomatoes, also contain significant levels of beta carotene.
Selenium is an important mineral thought to
share many traits with antioxidants.
Selenium in particular has been studied for its ability to prevent and
reverse cell damage. Scientists continue
to focus on this cell protecting ability as a possible cancer fighter.
Selenium is one good example of why it is
important to get the nutrients you need from food, not from vitamin
supplements. High levels of selenium can
be toxic, so supplementation is not recommended. Foods high in selenium, such as fish,
shellfish, red meat, poultry, eggs, garlic and whole grains, however, are
recommended. In addition to these
sources of selenium, fruits and vegetables that are grown in selenium rich
soils are also good sources of this important mineral.