Antioxidants protect your cells against free radicals, which are molecules formed in your body's natural process of oxidation, which have a missing electron. When any cell in your body loses an electron, the loss can alter the cell's structure and damage the instructions coded in your DNA. Antioxidants can help protect your body against diseases associated with free radical damage, such as atherosclerosis, eye damage, Alzheimer's disease and certain types of cancer.
Antioxidants Identification
Antioxidants are substances with the ability to give free radicals the missing electron that they would otherwise take from your cells, without becoming a danger to the body themselves. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, it is best to get your antioxidants from eating foods instead of taking supplements. Plentiful amounts of antioxidants can be found in fruits and vegetables, grains, teas, legumes and nuts.
Vitamin A and Carotenoids
Vitamin A helps the body make white blood cells which fight off bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A also helps the linings of the eyes, the respiratory system, urinary tract, intestinal tract and the skin strengthen their barrier against harmful bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A can be found in colorful fruits and vegetables in the form of provitamin A carotenoid. It includes beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant found in carrots, spinach, cantaloupe and apricots. Adult men and women need 900 micrograms and 700 micrograms of vitamin A per day, respectively. Vitamin A is measured in retinol activity equivalents, which account for the different biological activities of retinol and provitamin A carotenoids.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is responsible for the growth and repair of bone and connective tissue and is essential in helping wounds to heal. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant. Adult men and women need 90 mg and 75 mg per day, respectively. Safe upper limits of vitamin C intake is 2,000 mg per day. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, red and green peppers and kiwi. According to the National Institutes of Health, people who consume high intakes of vitamin-C-rich foods may have a lower risk of getting certain types of cancer.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, acts as a powerful antioxidant as well. Your body needs vitamin E to boost your immune system, giving it the ability to fight off harmful bacteria and viruses. Healthy adults need 15 mg or 22.4 IU each day. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils like wheat germ, sunflower and safflower oils, and in nuts, such as peanuts, hazelnuts and almonds. The safe upper limit for vitamin E in its natural form is 1,500 IU per day.
References
- Harvard University: The Nutrition Source: Antioxidants: Beyond the Hype
- National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine: Antioxidant Supplements for Health: An Introduction; May 2010
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin E
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