The health industry is most certainly one of the biggest in the world. People will do just about anything to make sure that they are healthy and that they are at reduced risk for the contraction of disease. The problem is that most consumers do not really know the answer to questions such as what is an antioxidant. They simply rely on advertisements that tell them that they need it.
No living organism can survive without oxygen. Oxygen plays a vital role in providing the body with the ability to metabolize, thus providing energy that is essential for existence. However, oxygen can have a dangerous side. Because it is highly reactive, it can easily become part of molecules that are damaging and that may lead to disease. These damaging molecules are called free radicals.
Free radicals are really nothing other than molecules that have split apart because the bond between the molecules became weak, thus rendering them unstable because in the process they have lost an electron. It is their very instability that can make them dangerous. These free radicals can be the result of factors such as environmental pollution, excessive exercise, high stress levels and even insomnia, among others.
Unstable free radicals try to gain back their missing electrons. They do this by attacking healthy cells. Unfortunately, this causes a reaction, because the healthy cell also becomes a free radical that will attack other healthy cells to gain back the missing electron. This process causes the death of many millions of molecules. This chain reaction can lead to many health problems, including arthritis, neurological diseases, cancer and lung disease.
With free radicals raging through the body, causing damage and disease, only antioxidants can cause the process to cease. They are able to give an electron to free radicals without the danger of turning into a free radical themselves. This is because they will remain stable regardless of whether they possess the additional electron or not. In this way the chain reaction can be broken and the free radicals are absorbed into the antioxidants.
It is lucky that there are many foods that are rich in this miracle substance that can neutralize free radicals. Not all foods are equally rich, however. Scientists use the ORAC test to score different foods but it is necessary to consume a variety of food types in order to gain full advantage. In general, all colorful fruit and vegetables are valuable in this respect.
The pace of modern life, the excessive use of preservatives and the fact that so many types of food are processed makes it almost impossible for the human body to produce enough to deal with free radicals. The pace of modern life and the high stress levels that are becoming common also contribute in a negative way. That is why it is necessary to consume foods that are rich in this almost miraculous substance.
The short answer to what is an antioxidant must be that it is a miracle substance that occur naturally in many foods and that it plays an important role in the health of human beings. Consumers should be careful, however, to be careful when buying supplements. The health and wellness industry often makes extravagant promises that cannot be substantiated by science.
No living organism can survive without oxygen. Oxygen plays a vital role in providing the body with the ability to metabolize, thus providing energy that is essential for existence. However, oxygen can have a dangerous side. Because it is highly reactive, it can easily become part of molecules that are damaging and that may lead to disease. These damaging molecules are called free radicals.
Free radicals are really nothing other than molecules that have split apart because the bond between the molecules became weak, thus rendering them unstable because in the process they have lost an electron. It is their very instability that can make them dangerous. These free radicals can be the result of factors such as environmental pollution, excessive exercise, high stress levels and even insomnia, among others.
Unstable free radicals try to gain back their missing electrons. They do this by attacking healthy cells. Unfortunately, this causes a reaction, because the healthy cell also becomes a free radical that will attack other healthy cells to gain back the missing electron. This process causes the death of many millions of molecules. This chain reaction can lead to many health problems, including arthritis, neurological diseases, cancer and lung disease.
With free radicals raging through the body, causing damage and disease, only antioxidants can cause the process to cease. They are able to give an electron to free radicals without the danger of turning into a free radical themselves. This is because they will remain stable regardless of whether they possess the additional electron or not. In this way the chain reaction can be broken and the free radicals are absorbed into the antioxidants.
It is lucky that there are many foods that are rich in this miracle substance that can neutralize free radicals. Not all foods are equally rich, however. Scientists use the ORAC test to score different foods but it is necessary to consume a variety of food types in order to gain full advantage. In general, all colorful fruit and vegetables are valuable in this respect.
The pace of modern life, the excessive use of preservatives and the fact that so many types of food are processed makes it almost impossible for the human body to produce enough to deal with free radicals. The pace of modern life and the high stress levels that are becoming common also contribute in a negative way. That is why it is necessary to consume foods that are rich in this almost miraculous substance.
The short answer to what is an antioxidant must be that it is a miracle substance that occur naturally in many foods and that it plays an important role in the health of human beings. Consumers should be careful, however, to be careful when buying supplements. The health and wellness industry often makes extravagant promises that cannot be substantiated by science.
