GenInv – Health and Wellness

Antioxidants are a very powerful bodyguard for your cells.  They help prevent viruses, diseases, etc and protect and maintain healthy function for your brain, eyesight, muscles and slows down aging. Everyday the DNA in each cell in your body faces about 10,000 attacks from cell-damaging forces known as free radicals.  Radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that have lost an electron.  Free radicals naturally produce as your body turns fuel to energy.

Antioxidants are very important to the bo

dy and it is important that you get all that you need to stay healthy.  There are many ways to get this important nutrient.  Free radicals when out of control can lead to heart disease, and when free radicals damage DNA inside the cell it can lead to mutations that can lead to cancer.  It can attack you eyes and cause cataracts or macular degeneration, which are common when it comes to vision loss in people 50 and over.  Researchers think that free-radical damage plays a role in Alzheimer’

s disease. It is very dangerous and this is where antioxidants come in.  When your body produces free radicals, your body produces antioxidants too.

Sometimes a small percentage of radicals slips past your antioxidant defenses and can cause harm.  That is why it is important for you to get even more of the nutrient that you need from your diet.  Roc Ordman, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin says that antioxidant plays a crucial role in reduc

ing the risk of all kinds of diseases.  

Vitamin C is an antioxidant and it is important for the body it can help protect against free radicals in many of our organs and tissues. Vitamin C is found in tropical and citrus fruits, bell peppers and broccoli. This nutrient works very quickly with the body.  Vitamin C helps prevent heart disease, lowers cholesterol, prevents certain cancers, keeps the immune system strong etc.  Recommended daily intake of this nutrient is 500 milligrams or more a day with food and supplements.

Good sources of Vitamin C are bell peppers, broccoli, oranges, papaya, strawberries, grapefruit, kiwifruit, cabbage, and potatoes. I eat all of that except for the papaya and grapefruit, but I always make sure I get what my body needs. Vitamin E is an antioxidant it protects your fat tissues from the damaging effects of free radicals.  Vitamin E also helps with lowering your bad cholesterol and heart disease. Dr. Ordman recommends 200 to 400 IU in supplement form daily to get the maximum protection.

Fruits and vegetables that are rich sources of antioxidants are; Broccoli again yes, Brussels sprouts,  butternut squash, cantaloupe, kiwifruit, navel oranges, strawberries, sweet potatoes, sweet red pepper and watermelon.

Other sources of antioxidant are; Carrots, green spinach, kale, red tomatoes, collard greens, other leafy greens, get beta-carotene and lycopene out of these veggies too.  Eat at least five servings of antioxidants mix it up with the fruits and vegetables and work your way up to eating more.  Love your body, you only gets one make the best out of it. Love it, live it and enjoy life naturally.

Love your body and it will love you back!

Lorna Darden