Prevent Age Related Decline Through Antioxidants
The world has been searching for the mysterious fountain of youth since the commencement of time. We all seem to drop that youthful energy and we would all like to come across and feel younger as we grow old. Is it feasible that the fountain of youth has been with us all along but we just didn’t value it?
Science has found that the bulk of age-related weakening along with most diseases and other disorders are caused by free radicals. Free radicals are very unsteady molecules that have an unpaired electron. They are caused by oxidative processes within our body. Most every bodily task requires oxygen but what happens is the oxygen molecule is often compromised by environmental pollutants, cigarette smoke and even digestion and other normal processes. When the oxygen molecule loses an electron it will steady itself by pinching an electron from another molecule. This creates the free radical.
The unpaired oxygen molecule, or free radical is a very erratic thing. In undue quantities it can generate many problems within our bodies. We cannot stay away from free radicals fully and we in fact don’t want to because our bodies require a few free radicals for different functions but when they emerge in extreme quantities they become very devastating to our cells and they play a part to a variety of disorders in including some crucial diseases and decline from aging.
The resolution to these troubles has been provided for us by nature. The healthiest foods in nature provide strong nutrients called antioxidants. Antioxidants actually come in and add the absent electron to the free radical thereby stabilizing it and preventing added impairment. Because of that a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods is really a fountain of youth. The retardation of free radical damage contributes deeply to the healthy, energetic youth that we want to maintain.
The impediment of free radical damage by antioxidants is an ongoing process. In fact even more free radicals are created as the others are being neutralized. For that reason antioxidants must be continually replaced within our bodies. We ought to eat a beneficial diet on a daily basis. It has been demonstrated that the safest and most helpful method to obtain antioxidants is through diet. Ideally, 8 to 10 fruits and vegetables should be consumed day by day but a minimum of 5 is suggested.
Antioxidant capacity in food is measured by what is referred to as the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC. The ORAC is a number that corresponds with the level of antioxidants traits in that food. Foods with high ORAC scores consist of spinach, kale, oranges, sweet potatoes and others. Most berries boast high ORAC scores including cranberries, blueberries and the acai berry. The acai berry in fact has one of the maximum ORAC scores ever found in nature.
The highest benefits of antioxidants come from the synergy of the diverse nutrients functioning in concert. That is why it is intelligent to consume a generous selection of healthy foods. One separate antioxidant will not give the benefit that it will when combined with the other nutrients. That is one explanation why it is healthier to get your antioxidants from food rather than supplements.
The fountain of youth that we have been searching for has been with us all along. We just didn’t appreciate it. If you want to put off much of your age related decline you should eat a large variety of nourishing antioxidants in your diet.