The Benefits of Antioxidants

By this point, you've probably heard about antioxidants. But, do you really know what they are, or why they are vital to your well-being? If you answered no, you are far from alone. It is time to spread the word about the many benefits of these all-natural health enhancers.

Are you interested in fighting premature aging? Well, you better pay attention to the environment around you and learn how to protect yourself from the "free radicals" that are on the loose.

No, I am not talking about some kind of political mobster. Rather, I am referring to something that can wreak havoc on your body and result in the development of a host of different diseases, including cancer, heart disease, cataracts and early aging.

A free radical is an unstable oxygen molecule that has become damaged due to factors such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, ultraviolet light, pesticides, radiation, emotional stress, and yes, excessive exercise. This unstable oxygen molecule must find another electron to make itself complete, so it begins to bombard other molecules -- resulting in injury to surrounding tissue.

Free radicals are common in all people, but the human body can, for the most part, defend itself with endogenous antioxidants. "Endogenous" antioxidants are those antioxidants that are naturally in the body and serve as "free radical scavengers." However, these endogenous antioxidants can be used up very quickly. This is why it is often important to take antioxidants in supplement form.

To help you understand how an antioxidant works to protect you from free radicals, imagine the following scenario: A beautiful woman is walking down a dark alley all alone and suddenly a stalker comes out of nowhere with plans to harm her. Before the stalker gets to her, a heroic young man jumps in front of her and kills the stalker -- but is killed himself. In this scenario, the woman is your body, the stalker is the free radical, and the young man is the antioxidant. Antioxidants merely "donate" the missing component to the unstable oxygen molecule (free radical), making it complete and rendering it harmless.

Antioxidants include numerous different nutrients and substances, including beta carotene, carotenoids, vitamin A, polyphenols, selenium, vitamin C, lycopene, vitamin E, coenzyme Q-10, Glutathione, lignan, and lutein. Research has shown that all antioxidants have special characteristics that can help your body ward off free radicals and keep them from causing harm. Below is a description of some of the most common types of antioxidants.

Vitamin A, Beta-Carotene and Carotenoids
Beta-Carotene and other members of the carotenoid family are precursors to vitamin A (transformed into the vitamin after entering the body). Beta-carotene helps lower your risk for cataracts, heart disease, and certain types of cancers (such as rectal cancer, melanoma, and bladder cancer). The November 4,1994 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association stated that the natural carotenoids, including beta carotene (5,000 IU) but also lutein and zeaxanthin, have been shown to be effective in decreasing the risk and even reversing the development of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65 years of age.