We’ve all come across lists of popular superfoods on the Internet more than once. Superfoods are natural foods that contain a lot of nutrients, in particular powerful antioxidants, which give these foods an almost magical ability to prevent the development of such terrible diseases as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and diseases of the cardiovascular system.
It’s important to understand, however, that despite the truly impressive facts about these natural wonders, you are unlikely to be able to fantastically improve your health simply by eating a handful of sesame seeds during the day or broccoli for lunch.
For a food that contains antioxidants to bring significant health benefits, it must be consumed consistently and in sufficient quantities. That is, it should become a part of your daily diet, your lifestyle. In addition, you need to eliminate all toxic and potentially hazardous foods from your daily “menu”.
How do they work free radicals
One of the key ingredients in superfoods is antioxidants. Vitamins A, C, D, E have antioxidant properties, as well as various minerals and phytonutrients such as carotenoids and polyphenols found in vegetables, fruits and berries (quality tea and coffee, organic raw honey, garlic, broccoli, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, red grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blueberries and many other plants are considered antioxidant foods.)
In simple words, antioxidants are active substances that fight free radicals. What are free radicals and why should you fight them? The fact is that free radicals are molecules that do not lead a very “friendly” lifestyle in relation to the human body. They have a free (unpaired) electron. He is precisely the culprit of all troubles. A free electron simply lacks a “pair”, so it tries to take away the missing electron from healthy cells. As a result of this “theft”, healthy cells cease to be. They receive serious damage, as a result of which the oxidative process starts.
The word antioxidant means an antioxidant, a preservative. Can you guess what is on his “list” of responsibilities?
In principle, free radicals are not an unexpected enemy for our body. Yes, some of them appear as a result of ultraviolet radiation, light or heat radiation, toxic substances. But also free radicals can form in the body and in the course of completely natural and normal biochemical processes. Only if the body can cope with such a portion of free radicals on its own (not without the help of a special enzyme superoxide dismutase, of course), then it will need more allies to fight the rest of the harmful molecules.
How Antioxidants Work
Antioxidants – What Are They? Antioxidants are the very allies ready to throw themselves into a deadly battle with free radicals. The principle of their action is clear from the name: they bind the unpaired electrons of free radicals with oxygen atoms (oxidizing agent) and render them harmless.
Antioxidants have to “work” with very neglected situations. Judge for yourself: when the superoxide dismutase enzyme is sorely lacking in strength, free radicals trigger a real chemical wave. For example, if a free radical attacks a protein, it not only cripples the molecule, but also forms a new destructive character. And he, in turn, continues to destroy the body, pulling more and more electrons into a pair.
If there are too many free radicals in the body, it causes a condition known as oxidative (oxidative) stress, in which tissue is damaged, the body ages, and serious diseases occur. Most of the serious problems such as diabetes, obesity, diseases of the cardiovascular system are associated with with oxidative stress.
Antioxidants are substances that have the ability to bind and, as a result, neutralize harmful free radicals, so it is not surprising that eating foods rich in antioxidants can help prevent the occurrence and development of disease.
Antioxidant “menu”
Realizing the importance of antioxidants for human health, experts focus on their introduction into the diet. We usually get them with food. But since every year the ecological environment of our cities does not improve, and there are more and more stresses and deadlines at work, vitamin complexes and biological supplements are often called to help food.
Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E, and minerals such as selenium, zinc, copper, chromium, and manganese.
The most famous and most powerful antioxidant – vitamin C… In addition to the fact that ascorbic acid participates in the formation of collagen (that is, it preserves the beauty of the body and slows down the aging process), it has another extremely useful property – it does not allow the body to destroy vitamins A and E. Vitamin C (and, accordingly, antioxidants) can found in rose hips, citrus sea buckthorn, black currants, strawberries, parsley, and dill.
Vitamin E (tocopherol) – a fat-soluble compound that has a beneficial effect on the skin, the reproductive system, and is also a powerful element in the prevention of atherosclerosis. You will find a sufficient amount of this antioxidant in wheat germ oil, nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews), fish (salmon, pike perch, eel).
Vitamin A (Retinol) responsible for the protection of internal organs from negative environmental factors (chemical pollution, radioactive, magnetic), as well as for supporting the immune system in good shape. Vitamin A is rich in orange, yellow vegetables and fruits (apricots, nectarines, peaches, carrots, mangoes), fatty fish, green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, zucchini).
By regularly consuming meals from these products, you will soon feel on yourself what antioxidants do and how serious their positive effects are.
Cabbage
We made kale stand out for a reason; kale is arguably the coolest and most readily available superfood to include in your daily diet.
Judge for yourself. Firstly, the variety of types of cabbage (broccoli, white cabbage, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, Savoy cabbage) and dishes from it will captivate even the most discerning gourmet. Second, these naturally ripened foods are high in phytonutrients (antioxidants). They protect the cardiovascular system by preventing damage to blood vessels, as well as protecting the retina and other tissues of the body, so antioxidants in food can safely be considered one of the most important and important points of your own health program.
Phytonutrients help prevent cancer by supporting overall cell health and cell communication and strengthening immunity. Cabbage vegetables also contain omega-3s and vitamins B-6, folic acid, C, E, zinc, manganese and vitamin K, which has anti-inflammatory properties.
Thirdly, cabbage is a cheap and affordable product. You can find several types of cabbage in shops and markets at any time of the year. My favorites are Brussels and Red. Although I like colored, and broccoli, and Savoy, and white cabbage.
In my new Liveup recipe app! quite a lot of cabbage dishes: soups, side dishes, main courses, snacks.
You can download the application at this link.