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Every day consumers are bombarded with dire warnings about their health. They are urged to buy a host of supplements that will help reduce their risk for contracting heart disease, cancer, asthma and a host of other scary conditions. Among many other modern phrases, more and more people want to know exactly what is an antioxidant. It seems that this is a key to good health.
Everybody knows that oxygen is one of the main keys to live as we know it. Every living thing needs it in order to survive. Oxygen plays several important roles, such as facilitating reactions that produce energy. This is done by metabolizing proteins and carbohydrates, amongst other. However, because oxygen is so highly reactive, it sometimes become part of destructive molecules, called free radicals.
The human body has billions of cells. A molecular bond sees to it that the cells are held together, but if the bond becomes weak, the molecules can split apart. In the process, free radicals are created. Free radicals are unstable molecules that miss an electron. This happens during extreme exercise, during times of stress, and when the body is exposed to pollution and certain medicinal drugs.
Unfortunately, free radicals try to compensate for the missing electron by attacking healthy cells, and in this way a chain reaction is created when the cell that was attacked loses an electron. A new free radical is created and the process repeats itself over and over again. In this way millions of molecules can be destroyed. In humans, this can lead to a host of diseases such as cancer, arthritis and heart disease, to name just a few.
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.
There are many foods that are rich in this miracle substance. Not all foods contain the same level, however. Tomatoes, all types of berries, green vegetables, beans, broccoli and prunes are just a few foods that contain high levels. The potency of the various foods to absorb free radicals is measured on the ORAC scale. Tomatoes, for example, enjoy a score of sixty while cherries score a hundred points, making the latter more powerful.
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.
Everybody knows that oxygen is one of the main keys to live as we know it. Every living thing needs it in order to survive. Oxygen plays several important roles, such as facilitating reactions that produce energy. This is done by metabolizing proteins and carbohydrates, amongst other. However, because oxygen is so highly reactive, it sometimes become part of destructive molecules, called free radicals.
The human body has billions of cells. A molecular bond sees to it that the cells are held together, but if the bond becomes weak, the molecules can split apart. In the process, free radicals are created. Free radicals are unstable molecules that miss an electron. This happens during extreme exercise, during times of stress, and when the body is exposed to pollution and certain medicinal drugs.
Unfortunately, free radicals try to compensate for the missing electron by attacking healthy cells, and in this way a chain reaction is created when the cell that was attacked loses an electron. A new free radical is created and the process repeats itself over and over again. In this way millions of molecules can be destroyed. In humans, this can lead to a host of diseases such as cancer, arthritis and heart disease, to name just a few.
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.
There are many foods that are rich in this miracle substance. Not all foods contain the same level, however. Tomatoes, all types of berries, green vegetables, beans, broccoli and prunes are just a few foods that contain high levels. The potency of the various foods to absorb free radicals is measured on the ORAC scale. Tomatoes, for example, enjoy a score of sixty while cherries score a hundred points, making the latter more powerful.
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.
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If you want a response to the question of what is healthy food, visit the web pages online here. You can see information about the subject at http://www.health-foods.net.au/ now.
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