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Natural antioxidants in foods. Video
In advertising for food and cosmetic products, you can often hear about antioxidants – substances that play an important role in the vital activity of body cells. They are essential for maintaining health and prolonging youth.
Natural antioxidants in foods
Antioxidant is translated from English as antioxidant, i.e. an inhibitor that slows down the oxidation processes. These processes involve free radicals – reactive oxygen species. When they oxidize lipids (the basis of cell membranes), they disrupt their functions, which leads to premature aging and diseases of varying severity.
Antioxidant defense in humans works from birth, but over the years it weakens under the influence of unfavorable factors. This can be compensated by proper nutrition.
Antioxidants include a group of enzymes and a group of vitamins. Enzymes convert free radicals into hydrogen peroxide and non-aggressive radicals, subsequently decomposing them into useful oxygen and water. Vitamins stop the chain reaction and prevent the formation of new radicals. The most famous antioxidants of the second group are vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (tocopherol), provitamin A (beta-carotene), lycopene. This also includes flavonoids contained in vegetables, anthocyanins in red berries, tannins (found in tea, coffee and cocoa), trace elements selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, and iron.
Content in vegetables and fruits
Most of all natural antioxidants are concentrated in the peel of plants and in the seeds of fruits. There are many of them in fresh fruits and berries: blueberries, sea buckthorn, mountain ash, cranberries, currants, etc.
Especially these useful substances are rich in plants with pronounced pigmentation and dark color, such as beets, red cabbage, pomegranate, dark grapes.
There are also many antioxidants in radishes, radishes, turnips, garlic and onions. And parsley and celery contain valuable essential oils that have antiseptic, antispasmodic and bactericidal properties.
Popular antioxidant drinks are green (and to a lesser extent black) tea, cocoa, coffee, and red wine. Although they should not be abused, because in addition to the benefits, caffeine and alcoholic drinks are also harmful.
Application in the food industry
Natural antioxidants (along with synthetic ones) are widely used in the food industry to increase the stability of foods containing vitamins and fats. For this, for example, the strong antioxidant vitamin E is actively used.
Antioxidants such as pectin, citric and ascorbic acids, anthocyanin, dihydroquercetin, butylhydroxytoluene (BHT), and butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) are used in food supplements.
Antioxidants are very beneficial, but in moderation. In excess, they begin to act the other way around, accelerating the oxidation processes. Therefore, when taking multivitamin complexes, it is important not to overdo it.
And yet the most effective way to get these nutrients is from fresh vegetables, fruits and berries. They are always absorbed by the body in an optimal way, and excess vitamins, if any, are easily removed.