The Whole Food Blog

We often read about how antioxidants are good for us, but what exactly are they, why do you need them and where do you get them?

What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are protective molecules that neutralize free radicals and protect the body from damage. They help defend the body by feeding electrons to the free radicals, which neutralize them. Antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, especially fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. The body also creates its own antioxidant enzymes.

What are free radicals?
Free radicals are the bad guys that antioxidants go after. They are unstable molecules with an unpaired electron in their molecular structure. Electrons are most stable in pairs, so a free radical tries to stabilize itself by attaching to cell membranes in the body to “steal” their molecules of electrons. When the “attacked” molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction.

What causes free radicals?
Free radicals are caused by essential metabolic processes, such as breathing, eating and walking. Sometimes the cells of the body’s immune system purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. Free radicals are also formed in ever-increasing numbers outside the body by factors such as pollution, radiation, pesticides and sun exposure.

How do free radicals harm us?

Where can we get antioxidants?

Click to read the full article on antioxidants

Anyone trying to achieve natural weight loss with a focus on cutting calories will also enjoy the anti-aging benefits.  Recent studies have shown that one of the most important steps people can take to increase longevity is to simply eat less.

This idea of consuming fewer calories is vital to natural weight loss and the anti-aging benefits provide extra motivation.  Animal studies have reported a 20- 40% increase in life span and significant delays in age-related health issues such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and brain atrophy. (source: www.low-caloriediet.com)

“This finding suggests that even slight moderation in intake of calories and a moderate exercise program is beneficial to a key organ such as the liver, which shows significant signs of dysfunction in the aging process,” said Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., an associate professor of aging and geriatric research at the University of Florida College of Medicine. (source: Medical News Today/Cutting Calories Slightly Can Reduce Aging Damage – http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/43060.php)

Other natural weight loss studies have revealed that Japanese people live longer because they consume fewer calories than those in the most developed nations.  An interesting note about this research is that adopting a reduced calorie diet in middle age proves just as beneficial for anti-aging as continuing one from birth.

For calorie reduction and natural weight loss, Resveratrol is gaining recognition.  This substance is high in antioxidants and is commonly found in grapes, giving wine its reputation as a healthy drink.  It is also found in greater concentration in Japanese knot weed.  Resveratrol has been linked to reduced calorie intake, lower cholesterol and greater longevity.  Nutrition experts have said that Resveratrol is the most important discovery since antibiotics and may very well be the most powerful tool for natural weight loss.

To better appreciate natural antioxidants, it is helpful to understand a bit more about how human digestion works.  As compounds are broken down in the body, they are transformed into energy and various substances.  Some of these substances do damage, and that’s where natural antioxidants can be beneficial.

Oxygen is the key in the process of breaking down food, which is why the resulting molecules are considered to be “oxidized.”  Through various processes, the oxygen in a molecule loses electrons.  This results in a positively charged molecule that steals electrons from other molecules in order to try and rebalance its own neutral state.  Some of these molecules or partial molecules go on to cause significant damage if they’re not neutralized.  That is where natural antioxidants come into play.

The positively charged molecules created during the oxidation process are called “free radicals,” and as they seek out electrons, they damage cells within the body.  These cells then die or become poisoned.  Antioxidants are able to neutralize these free radicals before they are able to set off chain reactions that damage and kill cells.  Some natural antioxidants also have the job of repairing this type of damage once it has already been done.

The body helps to regulate some of this by creating its own antioxidants, such as catalase and glutathione perixidas.  We are also able to introduce additional antioxidants through the diet.  Unfortunately, modern diets generally offer a very low level of antioxidants. The best sources for the most potent natural antioxidants are whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts.