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Antioxidant information every step of the way. They are positioned as defenders of the human body from harmful radicals.
Antioxidants are substances that control the concentration of free radicals, oxidation byproducts. Radicals can damage cell components, including DNA, and lead to the development of various diseases.
It is customary to refer to antioxidants as vitamins E, A, C, D, trace elements – selenium, B-carotene, as well as flavonoids, and several other substances. All of them are produced by the body and are found in plant foods (with rare exceptions).
It is believed that antioxidants slow down aging and protect against cancer. What myths are circulating around the truth about these substances, and what should you know about antioxidants?
All Antioxidants Are Good
Antioxidants work in different ways. Each individual antioxidant is responsible for its own area of free radicals. Antioxidants are not interchangeable, some are most effective when paired with each other, some alone.
The best option is to adjust your diet so that all possible antioxidants are present in it. At the same time, synthetic antioxidants are not always absorbed by the body.
According to German studies, sometimes taking antioxidant drugs interferes with the body’s insulin sensitivity. Other studies have noticed that men who took beta-carotene supplements developed cancer. Women also had an increased likelihood of skin cancer if they overdosed on dietary supplements containing vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and zinc.
Antioxidants are found only in vegetables and fruits.
All herbal products – fruits and vegetables, berries, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, all types of tea, herbs, red wine and dark chocolate, as well as seaweed – are a source of antioxidants. Plants produce these compounds for pest and UV control. Refined and ground cereals are the least valuable antioxidants.
Antioxidants are also found in small amounts in animal products – meat, fish and seafood, milk and eggs.
Antioxidants Rejuvenate
The anti-aging effect of antioxidants has not been scientifically proven. It is believed that they only prevent premature aging. But they are not able to rejuvenate the body. Cosmetics with antioxidants are also useless: they only work from the inside.
Free radicals are the enemy of the body
Free radicals are not an unconditional evil that must be striven to destroy. Radicals perform a number of important physiological functions: they participate in the synthesis of biological regulators, help to contract the walls of blood vessels, and stimulate cell death.