Information about the health benefits of antioxidants is becoming increasingly common, but do you know what they are and what they are used for? There are numerous antioxidants present in food and in some supplements. When consumed, they work in our bodies to prevent cellular ageing, DNA damage and the onset of disease.
How antioxidants work
Antioxidants are substances whose composition and molecular shape allow them to bind to free radicals of unstable atoms, preventing them from binding to oxygen, which would lead to oxidation.
Some of these molecules can be produced by our bodies, but often the number of free radicals far exceeds our ability to produce these antioxidants, which leads to oxidative stress, with harmful results for our health, particularly in the ageing process.
Cell membranes are damaged, the immune system is weakened and even the hormonal system can change. These environments are conducive to the development of cancer cells.
It is extremely important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, with physical exercise combined with a healthy diet, with foods rich in antioxidants such as fruit and vegetables that promote our body's resistance to oxidation.
What are antioxidants good for?
As well as fighting free radicals, protecting the body from possible cellular structural damage, they help to strengthen the immune system against external agents and have an anti-inflammatory action, which helps to preserving skin health, protect the heart from cardiovascular problems, reduce fatigue, among many other benefits.
Where to find antioxidants?
To eat a diet rich in antioxidants, it's essential to consume foods high in vitamin C (lemon, orange, pineapple and others), vitamin E (sunflower oil, peanuts, avocado and others), vitamin A (egg yolk, spinach, carrots and others), beta-carotene (sweet potato, banana, papaya, broccoli and others), as well as minerals such as selenium and manganese.
Another way to find antioxidantsThe best example of this is in natural food supplements in capsule form. A good example of this is the food supplement Azora® Astaxanthin, which is produced by Algicel using a patented technological process that is able to obtain the following from microalgae Haematococcus Pluvialis a product with a high degree of purity and quality.
Its constitution and formulation lead to a higher rate of absorption by the body, thus making it possible to reduce the daily intake of this supplement.
Don't forget that oxidative stress can cause a number of diseases and that antioxidants have the properties to prevent them and slow down skin ageing, among many other benefits.