Antioxidants - Benefits, Sources and more!

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Antioxidants - Benefits, Sources and more!

• 1. Definition
• Antioxidants are components that fight off free
  radicals in the body, which are known to attack
  the good, disease-fighting molecules. These are
  produced naturally in the body and are sourced
  from antioxidant foods. These antioxidants are
  called free radical scavengers. When free
  radicals accumulate in the body, they cause a
  phenomenon known as oxidative stress which
  damages the good cells of the body. While free
  radicals are naturally produced by the body, it
  only becomes dangerous when the balance between
  antioxidants and free radicals is off.
• 2. Types
• There are multiple types of antioxidants, each
  with their own sources. Phytonutrients are
  compounds which are found in plants, Anthocyanins
  are compounds found in fruits and vegetables like
  berries, carrots, eggplant and more. Resveratrol
  is a compound found in wine, dark chocolate and
  grapes. The last three types of antioxidants are
  Isoflavones which are found in soybeans, Lycopene
  which are found in tomato products and Lutein
  which is found in spinach, Brussel Sprouts and
  broccoli. .

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• 3. Sources
• While consuming antioxidant foods is the best
  source of antioxidants, one can also take
  supplements for Vitamin E, C and selenium.
  However, one must consult their doctors before
  ingesting any supplements. Foods like dark
  chocolate, strawberries, blueberries, pecans and
  kale are rich in antioxidants and are the best
  antioxidant foods..
• 4. Health benefits
• Since antioxidants help fight the free radicals
  in the body, they can also reduce the risk of
  certain diseases like cancer. While research
  establishing a connection between antioxidants
  and heart diseases is insufficient, there are
  some studies which also show that people who eat
  more fruits and vegetables, which are rich
  sources of antioxidants, have a lower risk of
  heart diseases. Antioxidants are also known to
  reduce the risk of AMD (Age-related macular
  degeneration) by up to 25
• 5. Skin benefits
• Antioxidants are hugely beneficial to the skin
  because they reduce sun spots and sun damage,
  help combat visible signs of aging and also help
  calm redness of skin and inflammation. They also
  stimulate the collagen production which aids in
  keeping the skin youthful and healthy. The most
  common antioxidants that are good for the skin
  are vitamin A, C and E.