Natural Antioxidants and Their Benefits

If you’ve done any research into health, it’s likely you’ll have heard of antioxidants. These powerful and essential molecules help to protect our bodies from dangerous free radicals. They are incredibly important to our overall health, helping our bodies to perform certain functions and to live long, happy lives. Bringing natural antioxidants into your diet is easy and, with the right advice, you could significantly improve your overall health now and in the future. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to boost your health today.

What are Antioxidants?

As we mentioned above, an antioxidant is a molecule that fights against free radicals in the body. Free radicals are derived from a number of different processes within the body but we are also exposed to them from external sources. Exposure to UV rays, pollutants in the air, cigarette smoke and the radiation from x-rays can all increase our levels of free radicals.

So, what is a free radical? Stable atoms have pairs of electrons that keep them balanced. Free radicals have a single, unpaired atom making them unstable. When they come into contact with our bodies, the single-atom begins trying to latch on to and source out another atom to pair with. In doing so, they can cause significant damage to the cells in our bodies. If we are unable to fight them off, our body may go through oxidative stress, negatively impacting different areas of the body including lipids, proteins and even DNA.

In extreme cases, they can work to trigger dangerous diseases too. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals by sacrificing some of their own atoms, essentially switching off the free radical. This breaks the chain of reaction and prevents damage to the skin.

Why are They Important to Our Diet?

A healthy human body will naturally produce a number of powerful antioxidants. These include alpha lipoic acid and glutathione. However, we need higher levels to protect us from external sources. This is why it is important to eat the right foods and include supplements into your diets to boost these.

You can boost your antioxidants by making a number of lifestyle choices, including using appropriate sunscreen and avoiding cigarettes. However one of the quickest and best ways to bring these valuable compounds into your body is through your diet. You want to make sure that you focus on getting a good balance of:

  • Vitamins A, C and E
  • Beta-carotene - in brightly coloured fruits & vegetables
  • Lycopene - in pink and red fruits as well as vegetables
  • Lutein - in green leafy vegetables
  • Selenium - in pasta, bread and grains

If you have a varied diet that includes a good percentage of vegetables, fruit and grains, it’s likely that you will also be ingesting good levels of antioxidants naturally.

How Do They Reduce The Risk of Diseases?

Because they protect the cells in our body, antioxidants can also help to prevent the development of heart disease, Alzheimers, atherosclerosis and certain cancers. Research has shown that they prevent oxidative damage and neutralize the toxic byproducts of natural cell metabolism. If you have a history of certain illnesses in the family or have recently been diagnosed, improving your diet to include some of the following foods may help you to improve your overall natural health in response.

  • Berries
  • Beans
  • Fruits, including apples, avocados, pineapple, oranges
  • Vegetables like spinach, potatoes, broccoli
  • Green teas and coffee
  • Raw nuts including walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds
  • Dark chocolate

What Research Exists?

There is a wide scope of research available out there to explain and back up the inclusion of antioxidants in your diet. A study from 2014 into Oxidative stress and antioxidants in disease and cancer established that high levels of free radicals cause oxidative stress and premature senility. There has also been confirmation that free radicals and cellular redox imbalances are directly linked to illnesses such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes, cataracts, Parkinson’s, Alzheimers and arthritis. The damage it can do to our bodies to not have good levels of these protective compounds is significant.

Other studies have looked at the impact that antioxidants can have on oxidative stress, including one in 2003. They prove through laboratory experiments that antioxidants counteract the impact of these harmful molecules, giving good support to the implementation of them in your diet. A review article from 2020 directly discusses this link, citing plant-derived antioxidant compounds as being an effective way to help in the prevention of these diseases.

How to Bring More Natural Antioxidants into Your Diet?

So, how can you make sure that your diet is rich in antioxidants to support your body through potential illnesses? The great thing is that you can find healthy and highly beneficial foods in more supermarkets and in health food shops, like us here at Natural Health 4 Life.

Snacking

It doesn’t have to be complicated. One of the simplest ways to make this change is to switch up your snacks. Instead of grabbing a packet of crisps, opt for a handful of nuts instead. Almonds are high in Vitamin E and flooded with antioxidants. We have Caramelised Honey Almonds for that sweet treat or Baked Hot Chilli Almonds to give a kick of spice. Dark chocolate is another indulgent treat that provides high levels of antioxidants. Think of our Dark Chocolate Coffee Beans or Dark Chocolate Peanuts for movie night.

Meals

Bring as many vegetables as possible into your meals. For breakfast, stir wilted spinach through scrambled eggs and serve on sourdough bread. Fry off small chunks of potato and have them alongside roasted tomatoes and salmon. Mix cannellini beans into your minestrone soup and top with grated cheese. Try to ensure that every meal is as colourful as possible - and that you include some form of leafy vegetable as standard too.

Drinks

Swap your high caffeine drinks for something more beneficial. Raspberry leaf tea, for example, is high in polyphenols including tannins and flavonoids which provide antioxidant properties to the body. Sip a glass before bed - the heat will also help to lull your body off to sleep.

Natural antioxidants are a vital addition to any diet and help to support your overall health. Here at Natural Health 4 Life, we’re passionate about bringing you the best products and latest advice to help you make informed decisions. If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of our team, please do get in contact here today.

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