If you have been on a health kick lately, you might have stumbled onto the term antioxidants. It sounds like a buzz phrase, doesn’t it? Actually, the word is more important than it sounds. It could certainly play a more crucial role in your health compared to other phrases like ‘gluten free’ or ‘paleo diet.’ Understanding a little more about antioxidants and why they are important could improve your health dramatically. However, before you learn about antioxidants, you need to get to grips with oxidation.
And Oxidation Is…?
A process that happens to the cells in your body. Oxidation is when cells in the body change due to a higher level of oxygen. This puts the cells under high levels of stress and can lead to severe damage. You might be confused at this point. After all, oxygen is good for the body, right? Well, yes and no. While we do need oxygen to survive and most of the air we breathe is made up of oxygen it is a destructive force against the cells in our body.
It attacks free radicals, the unstable molecules in our cells and triggers a process referred to as oxidative stress.
In English Please?
Oxidation is a negative process that has been linked to various health issues. Are you worried about aging and more importantly showing signs of age? Oxidation can cause you to develop more wrinkles, result in sagging skin and middle age spread. It can even make you age faster than you should. But that’s not all. Oxidation has also been linked to cancer, high blood pressure, inflammation and even infertility.
On top of this, the effects of oxidation have also been linked with the development of various health other problems including dementia, heart disease, and diabetes.
If It’s So Serious Why Haven’t I Heard Of It Before?
Oxidation has become more of a problem in recent years because our bodies are being exposed to more toxins. For instance, there are now higher levels of pollution in virtually every major city across the world. Not surprisingly pollution has been linked to an increase in oxidation.
Ever hear the saying, “black don’t crack“? Antioxidants are known as all natural anti-aging agents that help protect your skin from the damaging onsets of disease and toxins.
Okay, You’ve Convinced Me, What Should I Do?
You need to make sure that you are getting more antioxidants in your diet. These special vitamins help fight the process of oxidation in your body and protect it from some of the more serious issues. Antioxidants can be found in a wide range of foods including blueberries, cauliflower dark chocolate, and kale.
I Like Literally None Of Those Foods
The good news is that antioxidants are present in a massive range of natural foods. But, if you hate the taste try blending it together with foods you do like with a Vitamix blender. There’s a review here if you’re considering one and let’s face it, no one likes eating kale by itself.
How Many Antioxidants Do I Need A Day?
You need between 8 and 11,000 antioxidant units a day. If you want to learn more about this, there are plenty of resources online that should be able to help.
We hope you see now why antioxidants are so important when you trying to stay fit and stay healthy.
