Health Fitness

Antioxidants to fight aging? Learn how to fight free radical damage

When you think of anti-aging, do you think of expensive creams, spa treatments, or surgeries?

If so, you may want to look for another less expensive and healthier alternative: food. Certain foods can do much more than fight external signs of aging, they can also help prevent internal symptoms. Many problems in the body are caused by inflammation and oxidative damage caused by free radicals. If you can fight both of these causes, you can look and feel better. The foods you eat give your body the power to fight damage and inflammation, especially when you mix different foods.

What are the free radicals?

These bad molecules can be a byproduct of normal metabolism. Free radical damage can also be caused by exposure to pollutants in your environment, food, or drink. Everyone is exposed to free radicals as part of everyday life, so it is important to know what they do and how you can minimize their effects on you.

Free radicals form when a molecule has an unpaired electron and becomes unstable. When a molecule is unstable, it will steal an electron from the closest element it can find. (usually a cell in your body) Then the molecule that was stolen turns into a free radical on its own, looking for a spare electron to use and become stable again. They can damage just about anything they come in contact with, which is why the immune system sometimes creates them and uses them as a weapon against invaders it deems harmful.

Because free radicals can create chain reactions by stealing electrons from the molecules that make up your cells, they can cause inflammation, cell damage, and signs of premature aging. The best thing for you is to fight free radicals with antioxidants. The best way to get your antioxidants is to eat them. Since you really “are what you eat,” the right foods provide plenty of free radical fighters.

You can fight free radicals with many different foods.

Food is your most powerful weapon against free radical damage. Certain foods and compounds in them have the building blocks that your body is looking for, as it stops free radicals in their tracks. There are many different compounds in natural foods that fight free radicals. They do this by having a spare electron available to borrow. When one of these unstable free radicals gets close to an antioxidant, the antioxidant gives up its extra electron and neutralizes the danger. An antioxidant doesn’t become unstable, because that extra electron was always just a spare. When you have enough supplies to fight free radicals ‘in stock’, your body can deal with these bad guys right away. They do not have a chance to damage cells.

What are the most common antioxidants you can look for in food?

Anthocyanins – These powerful helpers are the dark pigments in plants. Plants will add anthocyanins to certain items to give them a rich, dark color. Things like blueberries, blackberries, red cabbage, cherries, and pomegranates have a lot of anthocyanins. Pale foods like cauliflower, white potatoes, and lima beans have none. There are even some exotic foods such as purple potatoes, heirloom tomatoes (these may have dark red, purple, and orange stripes), and black chia seeds with rich, dark colors for you to choose from.

Betanene – This is what gives beets a dark red color. It is more potent than polyphenols, which are found in green tea, black tea, dark chocolate, and olive oil. Don’t discount polyphenols though, green tea has earned its reputation as a healthy beverage for many reasons. NOTE: Drinking raw beet juice can lower blood pressure in people who have hypertension. If you are going to drink it and are taking blood pressure medicine, you may want your doctor to monitor your progress.

Vitamins A and C are also antioxidants.

Most people are aware of the benefits of these fat and water soluble vitamins, but they also overlook their property as free radical fighters. Fruits and vegetables are rich in A and C. Paprika, dried parsley, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and basil are all seasonings loaded with A. Citrus fruits, kiwis, bell peppers, green vegetables Leafy greens, guavas, papayas, and even strawberries are high in vitamin C.

Antioxidants work best when mixed.

Taking a supplement of an isolated antioxidant is generally not as effective as mixing several in one meal. Everyone works together and builds on the benefits of others. Notice how tomatoes have vitamin C and anthocyanins. Adding seasonings to your food, like a tasty basil pesto, chili minced bell peppers, or tabouleh parsley not only makes food taste better, it also makes it healthier.

What’s a great, easy way to add antioxidants to almost any food?

Chia seeds. Chia seeds are small, tasteless, and as easy to add as sprinkle or stir in whatever you want. All of the antioxidant foods mentioned above have one thing in common: they all have a taste. Seasonings like paprika mentioned above are good … but you won’t want them in your cake, pudding, or yogurt. With chia, you can add antioxidants, B vitamins, calcium, and protein to just about anything and it won’t change the taste. Make healthier healthy dishes and boost your favorite foods by combining antioxidants … like fresh strawberries in yogurt with chia blended. You get vitamin C from strawberries, calcium from yogurt, and healthy omega-3 oils from chia. Does chia have other antioxidants? Yes! The lesser known, but still important, antioxidants in chia are myrecetin, quercetin, kaemferol, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid.

The possibilities are endless, and your menu is much more interesting when you add healthy spices and combine antioxidant-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and chia seeds. Now that you know what to look for, enrich your menu with tons of great recipes available online and in natural cookbooks. You will be surprised how many options you have at your fingertips!

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