Antioxidants

Antioxidants are potentially the most important part of a basic nutrition program. These compounds are incredibly important as they circulate in the blood, "mopping up" the free radicals which cause cell damage and disease.

"Free radicals" are unstable compounds in the body that will "do anything" to become stable, which they do by stealing an electron from another molecule. In the process they make the other molecule unstable, causing tissue damage, which must be repaired to maintain good health.
The body uses this process to destroy bacteria and maintain healthy cells; it can get out of balance if there are not enough antioxidants (substances that react with free radicals, neutralising them) in the body, causing "oxidative stress" which causes more damage to cells than the body can cope with resulting in disease. Oxidative stress has been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer.
There are many causes of oxidative stress in the body, from ionising radiation (x-rays, over exposure to strong sunlight) and toxic chemicals (usually found in cleaning products, cosmetics and some foods daily) to dietary deficiencies. Dietary causes of oxidative stress include eating the wrong foods - refined sugar and flour, foods high in nitrites (bacon and sausages) and virtually all prepared foods, also not eating enough natural foods like fruits and vegetables, which contain natural antioxidants.

Foods that increases levels of free radicals

• Refined sugar
• Refined flour and other grain products (corn, pasta)
• Foods cured in nitrites (bacon, sausages, salami etc)
• Prepared foods (high in both sugar and preservatives)
• Mouldy foods
• Food additives
• Foods high in pesticides (non-organic produce)
• Hydrogenated vegetable oils, margarine etc

Commonly foods in the diet that protect against free radical damage.

• Whole, fresh, organic fruits and vegetables
• Small amounts of raw cane sugar and wholegrain flour.
• Natural vegetable oils (olive oil, flax seed oil)
• Dairy products (butter, cheese)
• Fresh, organic, grass-fed meats (beef, lamb)

So how do you choose an antioxidant?

So if you may not be getting enough antioxidants in your diet a supplement may be the answer. Most antioxidant preparations contain a variety of compounds which have different effects and durations. These preparations are known as "broad spectrum" antioxidants as they give an array of different protective properties against a variety of radicals.

OUR PRODUCTS:

Microgenics Complete Antioxidant 30 Tablets