Antioxidants raise the quality of our life and help us to live a longer and healthier life. Free radicals are our greatest enemies and only consumption of antioxidants and living a healthy lifestyle can help us. Antioxidants protect our cells from the harmful influence of free radicals which get liberated in the process of cell metabolism. They also stop the destruction of DNA molecules. With such power properties of antioxidants, being always young and healthy is possible.
Nowadays, there are unfortunately many external factors that accelerate the process of cell destruction which in turn speeds up our aging process. It is our responsibility to take care of our body. Low-quality foods, every-day stress, sleeplessness, even the air we breathe are our worst enemies in this quiet war. But there is some good news thanks to antioxidants we can fight this phenomenon and gain our health and vitality back. If we consume enough foods that are rich in antioxidants, we will protect ourselves from most toxins that endanger our body.
The most important antioxidants our body requires are vitamins C, E, beta-Carotene and Selenium. They improve our general condition, even if we take them separately. Though, it is proven that they have a better effect if they are taken together.
Vitamin C makes our immune system stronger, it helps the synthesis of interferon, provides protection against stress and carcinogens. It also reduces the cholesterol level in the blood. Researches performed in Canada show that people who take recommended dozes of vitamins C and E suffer 50% less from cataract problems than others who do not. Vitamin E, beta-Carotene and Selenium are also important.
There are many other antioxidants that are vital and that we need to take every day as well. Of course, it is better to supply our organism with antioxidants by consuming natural products like vegetables and fruits, instead of taking pills. Even though we may find it hard to consume enough antioxidants due to unavailability or whatever reason, we should still make an effort.
There are different foods that contain high levels of antioxidants. Some of the most popular ones are as follows.
Carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, peach, tomato and fruit juice are all rich in vitamin A.
Citruses like lemon and orange, green vegetables with leaves and tomato are a great source of vitamin C.
Green vegetables like curly cabbage and spinach are rich in the antioxidant lutein.
Plum, apple, mango, pine-apple, pink grapefruit also contain high levels of antioxidants.
Strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry and cherry contain a lot of anthocyanins.
Broccoli and other vegetables as cauliflower have lots of indoles and sulforaphane.
Nuts (walnuts, peanuts, hazelnut) contain a great quantity of vitamin E. Dried fruits, especially dried plums and dried dates have extremely high levels of antioxidants (beta-Carotene).
Grains (millet, barley, corn, and oats) are all rich in antioxidants.
Tea contains antioxidants known as flavonoids.
Fish, chicken, cereals, red meat contain a lot of selenium and zinc.
If you want to keep your skin beautiful and without wrinkles you need to consume food that is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants will aid in detoxification and your body will be eliminated of free radicals and toxins. Antioxidants can also protect us from serious diseases like breast cancer, some heart diseases and different types of inflammations.
Since food that contains lots of antioxidants is extremely healthy, it is a good idea to direct yourselves to it when planning your daily menu. If you are really not able to fit such food into your daily meal, you must consider taking supplements that will help you detoxify