The "Wonderful" But... So Mysterious antioxidants !

On TV, internet, newspapers... every day, we can read about the importance of the antioxidants for our health. But what are exactly these antioxidants? They seems wonderful but at the same time so... mysterious!

What are Antioxidants?

Biologically, we can define the antioxidants by "biologic compounds protecting the cells from the damage caused by oxygen-free radicals".

In reality, oxygen-free radicals are damaging cells, by altering or killing the healthy cells, a chemical reaction called: oxydation. Free radicals attack the healthy cells and provoke then in the body: many negative biological process like aging and sickness. Antioxidants prevent the destroying action of the free radicals, it is why they are so important and useful for the entire body. Nutrients, by exemple some specific vitamins and minerals, are good sources of antioxidants.

Medically Antioxidants are important

The medical community considers now antioxidants very important for health. Specially because more researchs are prooving every day: that antioxidants play really many active roles in prevention of diverse severe diseases. We can think about: cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, alzheimer, neurologic diseases, and more...

What must be the Best Food to eat to get these Antioxidants?

First of all, we must look for vitamins E & C, Beta-carotene, Selenium to get antioxidants. We have the choice to take it by nutritional supplements or more naturally by our daily food!

Our Food listing can be like this:

- Vitamin E: cherries, broccoli, aspargus, leafy green vegetables, whole wheat products and cereals, olives, avocado, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, seeds (pumpkin or sunflower not salted or roast), liver

- Vitamin C: oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, cantaloupe, kiwi, strawberries, red grapes, prunes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes

- Beta-carotene: cantaloupe, melon, mangoes, peach, apricots, papaya, pumpkin, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, squash, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables

- Selenium: garlic, onion, seafood, beef, chicken, pork, brazil nuts, brown rice, bulgur, barley, whole wheat products and cereals

Antioxidants are not anymore so "mysterious", and now we know better why they are certainly useful and helpful for our Health!! We have also more accurate knowledges to choose best food antioxidative!!