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Antioxidants

Introduction

An ever growing number of men and women -- and younger people as well -- from all walks of life are learning how dietary supplements can be a wonderful addition to their lives. These people are learning how they can enhance their health by using dietary supplements … as supplements to a balanced diet.

Through this article, you are provided with helpful and necessary information about antioxidants and how antioxidants can play an important role in your own life.

Understanding Antioxidants

What are antioxidants? Antioxidant is a classification of several organic substances. This includes vitamins C and E and A, which are converted from beta-carotene. Also a mineral called selenium and another group known as carotenoids. Carotenoids are a pigment that adds color to many fruits and vegetables of which beta-carotene is the most well known.

Antioxidants work at a molecular and cellular level where they deactivate free radicals. Free radicals can come into the body through the oxygen molecule but they are also created by exposure to various environmental factors like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals come from the oxidation process that can sometimes be carcinogenic.

How Antioxidants Can be Helpful to You and to Your Life

Antioxidants are thought to be effective in helping to prevent many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and cataracts because they are capable of counteracting the damaging, but normal effects of the process of oxidation in tissue.
When the body goes through oxidative stress it means that the harmful molecules called free radicals are beyond the capability of the antioxidants in the body. These free radicals are atoms or molecular fragments that have a charge due to an over abundance or shortage of electrons. Free radicals containing oxygen are the most biologically significant free radicals and because they are defective and unstable they scavenge the body to take or give electrons, which therefore damages the cells, proteins and DNA.

Damage Caused by Free Radicals

It is impossible to avoid damage by free radicals because they come from within the body and from outside but the process can be slowed down with a diet rich in natural anti-oxidant rich foods and the use of supplemental antioxidants.

The Growing Use of Antioxidants in the 21st Century

Surveys show that over 30% of all Americans take some form of an antioxidant. There are hundreds of companies that manufacture various combinations of these products. For more information on antioxidants and to find the best ones to purchase get online and look under antioxidants and if you have a specific condition you are dealing with search for the condition and the word antioxidant.