What is an antioxidant and what is its role in the human body

A long, healthy, quality life is happiness for any person. In our desire to live for more years, we go farther and farther - doing yoga, morning jogging, taking all kinds of "magic pills" ... However, in this pursuit of longevity, we often overlook the most important issue related to healthy eating. As Seneca once said: "We are what we eat." And in order to maximize the duration of their lives, you need to pay attention to their nutrition, and to approach this problem you need with the mind. Knowing what an antioxidant is, will help you to create a healthy and healthy diet in every way.

Before answering this question, it is worthwhile to conduct a brief excursion into biology, which will allow us to better understand what antioxidants are. As we all know, life without oxygen is impossible. Owing to oxygen, which is part of the air, all the processes of vital activity are taking place in the body, in particular, energy is produced by the cells. Unfortunately, this process is constantly accompanied by the appearance of so-called free radicals - oxygen-oxidized molecules that have an extra electron in their structure. Free radicals damage healthy cells of the body, cause mutations and carcinogenesis.

It is possible and necessary to fight them. Knowing what an antioxidant is and what foods it contains, you will help your body destroy dangerous molecules. So, various kinds of tea (especially green), chocolate with high content of cocoa (first of all - black bitter), fruits and vegetables, berries, olive oil are rich in antioxidants. A sign that a vegetable or fruit is rich in antioxidants is its sour taste. Such products are available, and you can easily find them and include them in your daily diet. A person who chooses antioxidants, reviews are not needed, because now the properties of almost all products are known.

If you want to increase the dose of nutrients taken with food, you can advise paying attention to antioxidant vitamins. The main vitamin that prevents oxidation processes in cells is vitamin C. It is available not only along with many types of fruits and vegetables, but also in a dosage form. One or two tablets of "ascorbic" per day will be an excellent prevention of not only colds, but also cancer, as well as premature aging. Also excellent sources of antioxidants are vitamins A, E and carotenoids. Another antioxidant - selenium - although it is to some extent a toxic substance, in microscopic doses is simply necessary, because it also plays the role of a defender against free radicals.

Understanding - what is an antioxidant, and knowing what foods are rich in them, you will know which food is most preferable and useful for a person. But remember that everything is good in moderation, and the excess of antioxidants, especially in the form of various dietary supplements and other supplements, will not lead to anything good. Try to get antioxidants together with food in the form of fresh vegetables, fruits, chocolate, tea, and be healthy!