More frequently, health care professionals are advising you to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Most of this advice is to direct people to obtain their vitamins and minerals from whole foods and not only from dietary supplements. Some of the most important fruits and vegetables to consume regularly are the highly colored ones.
Free Radicals
Free radicals are products of many of the processes that occur in your body. When the cells of your body use oxygen, one of the resulting waste products generated is free radicals. These products are hazardous to the cells in the body and if untreated can lead to serious diseases and leave your body vulnerable to sickness and illness. Some of the effects of free radicals on the body include damage to DNA, oxidative breakdown of tissue and the inhibition of enzymes that are required throughout the body.
Other sources of free radicals in the body include environmental factors. Pollution, tobacco smoke, radiation and sunlight are all causes of free radical production in the body.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are molecules that fight the damage caused by free radicals. They serve as free radical scavengers to eliminate them from the body and to protect the body from harm. Antioxidants appear in the foods you eat. Meat, nuts, fruits and vegetables contain some antioxidants that your body can use to fight free radicals. Other sources of antioxidants come from phytochemicals, found in wine and some grains.
Many different molecules serve as antioxidants. Vitamins A, E and C are all strong antioxidants. Lutein, beta-carotene and lycopene are antioxidants that the body gleans from the fruits and vegetables you consume.
Dangers of Free Radicals
Many serious diseases result from the damage that free radicals cause in the body. According to the American Heart Association, there is a link between free radicals and the development of cardiovascular disease. The oxidative process caused by the presence of free radicals leads to fatty buildup in the arteries. Eating a diet rich in antioxidant sources significantly reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The National Cancer Society attributes one cause of the development of cancer in the body to destruction from free radicals. The reactions between free radicals and cells in the body result in damage to the cell and can cause changes in DNA. These changes can lead to the generation of cancer cells in the body. The presence of significant amounts of antioxidants helps to prevent these destructive processes.
Other diseases linked to free radical damage include neurological disorders such as Parkinson's, Huntington disease and Alzheimer's. Muscular diseases and diabetes can result from free radicals as well.
Sources of Antioxidants
Antioxidants are available in supplement form, as well as from your diet. With the developing importance of antioxidant supplementation to your diet, many forms of antioxidants are available on the shelf at your pharmacy or grocery store. Supplementation with beta-carotene/vitamin A, vitamin E and Vitamin C provides a source of antioxidants to fight the damage of free radicals in the body.
Antioxidant sources that derive from supplements limit the different types of antioxidant molecules that are available to join in the fight against free radicals. The antioxidants you get from your diet span a broad range of molecules and provide a greater base of molecules to draw upon than you can get in pill form. Many groups such as the National Cancer Society and the American Heart Association recommend that you obtain your antioxidants from your diet rather than from supplementation. In fact, some studies show that supplementation can be hazardous to your health. Pending further research, you should be cautious about using supplements for your source of free-radical-fighting antioxidants.
Natural Sources of Antioxidants
A proper diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables provides the best source of antioxidants to aid in the fight against damage caused by free radicals. Highly colored fruits and vegetables generally have high antioxidant levels that will help you. Most health care professionals advise you to consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet every day. While other benefits come with eating fruits and vegetables, such as adding fiber to your diet, one of the main reasons is to provide antioxidants for the care and repair of the body.
Fruits and vegetables are only one source of antioxidants you consume in your food. Many culinary spices such as cinnamon, oregano and cloves provide large amounts of antioxidants to your diet. Other common food items, such as garlic, onions, nuts, tomatoes and teas, contain beneficial antioxidants.
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