A Look At Antioxidants: How They Prevent Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation is called the secret killer, and for good reason! If left unchecked, it can become chronic and lead to some of the most unfortunate chronic diseases known to man – Alzheimer’s disease, for example.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to entirely prevent inflammation from occurring. Our food, water and air all contain toxins and our body produces toxins that leave us vulnerable to inflammatory triggers. That being the case, prevention of inflammation is limited to giving our bodies the types of nutrients it needs to combat the triggers before they start to cause a problem. Those special compounds are called, antioxidants.
You are most likely familiar with antioxidants such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C and perhaps even co-enzyme Q10. These antioxidants are considered essential nutrients since they are necessary to sustain life, but there are several others that may not be so well known and which you may be lacking in your diet.
Antioxidants are incredible chemicals. They have the ability to defy a chemical process called “oxidation”- hence the name ANTI-oxidant. Oxidation is a naturally occurring side effect that occurs as the body converts oxygen to energy. During the process, chemical bonds between various particles are broken and ionic particles called “free radicals” are created.
Free radicals are very unstable, destructive and will do anything to reclaim their stability once again- even if that means stealing electrons from another particle. As they bounce around frantically seeking out a partner to pair with, they cause other chemical bonds to break and cause a chain reaction of destruction. In fact, if you have crow’s feet around your eyes, that’s a prime example of free radical damage. As oxidation occurs within the cells around your eyes, free radicals bounce vigorously around destroying the chemical bonds within other cells and weakening them. Over time, the elasticity of these weakened cells breaks down causing the lines around the eyes to form.
This is where antioxidants come in. It’s their job to scavenge and attack free radicals, toxic compounds and anything else that could cause cellular damage or mutation. As a result, the cells stay healthy and vibrant and the immune system has no reason to send out a call for help.
The Best Sources Of Antioxidants
While antioxidants are found to an extent in any natural food item, the foods that have the highest antioxidant power are fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are the only suppliers of a special type of antioxidant called phytonutrients. Though considered non-essential to everyday living, phytonutrients have been scientifically proven to pack quite a punch with regard to cellular detoxification and free radical eradication. Ensuring that you consume at least 5 servings of brightly colored, fresh fruits and vegetables a day will ensure that you are ingesting about the suggested value of phytonutrient antioxidants a day.
If you find it difficult to meet your daily serving of fruits and vegetables or you want to ensure that you get the proper balance, there are supplemental juices that may help. One that is somewhat new to the nutritional world is nopalea cactus juice, a juice comprised of nopal cactus juice and a variety of other high antioxidant fruit concentrates.
Of course, you should keep in mind that are supplements are not a replacement for the “real thing” and if considering taking a supplement like nopalea cactus juice, it’s best to talk to your doctor or nutritionist before adding it to your regimen- especially if you are currently on medications.
Related Articles
