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Antioxidants
If you’ve noticed how an apple turns brown when it’s cut or how iron rusts when
exposed to the elements, you’ve seen the effects of oxidation. Oxidation causes
similar damage to the cells of the body. But unless you have discovered how to
live without breathing, you cannot escape the consequences of oxidation. It
takes place whenever you breathe, digest food, exercise, or even sleep – and
produces potentially harmful agents called free radicals.
Free radicals are
unstable molecules that trigger chain reactions that eat away at the cells of
the body and damage the genetic material they contain. Countless free-radical
chain reactions take place in the body each day. In addition, emotional stress,
ultraviolet light, air pollution, and cigarette smoke also generate free
radicals that can put your health at risk.
Fortunately, nature
provides antioxidants – factors which have been shown to be helpful in
minimizing the effects of free radicals. The most important antioxidants
include:
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Certain vitamins and
carotenoids
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Glutathione, L-cysteine,
alpha lipoic acid
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Certain minerals
such as Zinc and Selenium
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Components found in
plants, such as ginkgo biloba, bilberry, resveratrol and green tea
While fruits and
vegetables provide a source of natural antioxidants in the diet, in this modern
age additional supplementation is desirable to help achieve optimal intake.
Recent research
suggests that combinations of antioxidants work better than isolated
antioxidants, and that alpha lipoic acid in particular helps to recycle the
antioxidants.
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