Supplements Information

Why Are Antioxidants Important To Me?


Did you know that when we breath oxygen, it interacts with certain molecules in our bodies to create free radicals and that these free radicals damage important cellular structures such as DNA and cell membranes? Well, it is true and this damage may cause cells to function poorly and mutate. Free radical damage may lead to disease and aging.

We are exposed to huge amounts of free radicals from pollution, and pesticides. Every time you breathe, you take in millions of free radical molecules created by cigarette smoke, radiation, and automobile emissions. Every time you eat, you consume free radicals in the form of pesticides and preservatives.

This is where antioxidants come in. Our bodies have a natural defense system against these free radicals. Our immune system creates antioxidants which are able to neutralize free radicals and prevent much cellular damage. We also need antioxidants from other sources such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, some meat, poultry and fish.

I bet you may recognize these antioxidants: vitamin E, C and beta carotene (a form of vitamin A. Others include luetin, lycopene, magnesium, and zinc.

There has been much talk about antioxidants preventing heart disease which is so deadly that it results in an average of 1 death every 34 seconds. The American Heart Association says, ?Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol is important in the development of fatty buildups in the arteries. This process, called atherosclerosis (ath"er-o-skleh-RO'sis), can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Increasing evidence suggests that LDL cholesterol lipoprotein oxidation and its biological effects can be prevented by using antioxidants -- both in the diet and in supplements.? In 1993, Harvard University researchers reported that supplemental doses of vitamin E actually reduced the risk of heart disease by as much as 54 percent!

And what effects can antioxidants have on the big ?C? word? This is a question that all of us are dying to know since one American in every three living today will get cancer, and one in four will die from it. The National Cancer Institute says, ?Considerable laboratory evidence from chemical, cell culture, and animal studies indicates that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the development of cancer. However, information from recent clinical trials is less clear.? Selenium, an antioxidant mineral can help protect against breast cancer. One expert, Dr. Gerhard Schrauzer of the University of California at San Diego, stated, "If every woman in America started taking selenium supplements or had a high-selenium diet, then within a few years the breast cancer rate in this country would drastically decline. And according to a study by Dr. Larry Clark of the University of Arizona, 200 micrograms daily of selenium cut the rate of prostate cancer by 69% and lung cancer by 34%.

So clearly antioxidants are important for all of us to strengthen and protect our immune systems and to help guard against disease. Antioxidants may even help us live longer. The theory is that if free radical damage causes aging, antioxidants in high enough quantities should be able to slow aging. This theory is advanced in one California study of people aged 50 or older, where it was found that those "... with a higher intake of vitamin C were found to have a total death rate only 40% of that for those with the lower intake of C ... This decrease in the death rate corresponds to an increase by eleven years in the length of life." Even small doses of vitamin C can help. According to one UCLA study only 300 milligrams a day can add 6 years to a man's life and two years to a woman's life.

Antioxidants are made naturally by your body but supplementation from food or other sources is needed. The highest concentrations of antioxidants are found in the most deeply or brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as spinach, red bell peppers, raspberries, carrots, apricots, pomegranates, and tomatoes.

About The Author

Scarlet Paolicchi publishes Healthy Living Newsletter. She is also an independent distributor for Young Living products. You can visit her website at http://www.youngliving.com/scarlet

scarletsinger@hotmail.com


MORE RESOURCES:

What's good for expecting mothers
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 2 hours ago
By Louise Hall - Health Reporter PREGNANT and breastfeeding women should take vitamin and mineral supplements for their health and the development of their ...


2 B Well Again's Natural Supplements that Actually Work
PR Web (press release), WA - 8 hours ago
Meserve's father sent her some natural supplements to use. "I ended up losing 35 lbs in 3 months and gained a ton of energy," she said. ...


Lead poisoning from dietary supplements
WWMT, MI - Aug 27, 2008
(NEWSCHANNEL 3) - A new study has a warning about the supplements many people take to stay healthy. We take supplements for everything from improving memory ...
Herbal Supplements Pose Health Risk? WXYZ
Study finds toxins in some herbal medicines USA Today
New meds aren't always 'safe and effective' Globe and Mail
AFP - BBC News
all 171 news articles


Things To Bear In Mind To Ensure The Effectiveness Of Your ...
Corsavoo.com, France - 5 hours ago
Like medicine, nutritional supplements have each of their own ways of performing their roles in health. And to ensure the effectiveness of supplements, ...


NIU PREVIEW: Workouts not all about lifting
Dekalb Daily Chronicle, IL - 8 hours ago
The NCAA is even blunter when it addresses the usage of supplements on its website, issuing this warning in bold-faced letters: “The use of supplements is ...


Evaluating Dried Distillers Grains As A Range Cow Supplement
CattleNetwork.com, KS - 19 hours ago
The high cost of cattle feeds have many cow calf producers out “window shopping” for the best buys in cow supplements for this winter. ...


The Business Desk

Health supplements firm sold by administrators
The Business Desk, UK - Aug 29, 2008
By David Parkin - Editor A HEALTH supplements manufacturer owned by former Marketing Leeds chairman Jan Fletcher has been sold after going into ...


Doctor, doctor
guardian.co.uk, UK - 16 hours ago
I am a vegetarian, take calcium, iron, evening primrose and flax seed supplements, eat minimal dairy, but do drink soy milk. My hair is in good condition. ...


Aversion

Alkaline Trio's Skiba Supplements Income on eBay
Aversion - Aug 29, 2008
Apparently that radio-friendly album and those branded athletic shoes aren't bringing home the bacon like The Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba hoped: He's now ...


Health Tip: Using a Dietary Supplement
Washington Post, United States - Aug 27, 2008
(HealthDay News) -- More than half of Americans take a dietary supplement of some kind, the Cleveland Clinic says. But all supplements aren't safe and ...

Supplements - Google News

home | site map
© 2006