Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Antioxidants and your health

What are antioxidants?
They protect cells from harm caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules made when you digest food, or by exposure to things like tobacco smoke and radiation.

Antioxidants gained popularity because they may be able to help fight cancer, heart disease, and age-related health problems.

Antioxidants, benefits, and where to find them:

Antioxidants are rich in many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Most antioxidants are "fat soluble" nutrients or nutrients that need to be eaten with a small amount of fat in order for the body to be able to use them.

Vitamin C is the exception. It is a "water soluble" nutrient or a nutrient that your body can use without having to eat any fat.

  • Beta-carotene-  Aids in eye health.
    • Found in orange foods
      • Sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, squash, apricots, pumpkin, and mango.

  • Lutein- Aids in eye health
    • Found in yellow foods and green leafy vegetables. 
      • Collard greens, spinach, and kale.

  • Lycopene-  Helps maintain vision and prevent eye damage caused by aging. It may also lower your risk of certain cancers.
    • Found in red foods
    • 80% or more Americans get lycopene from eating tomatoes and tomato products.
    • Cooking tomatoes enhances the effect of lycopene.
      • watermelon, guava, papaya, apricots, pink grapefruit, and blood oranges.

  • Vitamin A- Plays a role in vision, skin, and immune system health. As an antioxidant, it may help slow down or prevent certain cancers.
    • liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, egg yolks, and mozzarella cheese.

  • Vitamin C (also called ascorbic acid)- Plays a role in skin health and wound healing, promotes healthy teeth and bones, and boost the immune system.
    • is found in many fruits and vegetables, cereals, beef and poultry.  

  • Vitamin E- Plays a role in fighting inflammation and swelling, heart health, brain health, and immune system health.  Vitamin E may help prevent cancer.
    • Americans get most of their Vitamin E from cooking oils like soybean, canola, corn, and other vegetable oils.  
    • The richest sources are found in nuts, seeds and oils.

How much should I get?
Taking antioxidant supplements can be toxic to your body because it is easy for you to get more than you need. Supplements usually contain high doses of nutrients.

Like fat, your body will hold on to extra fat soluble nutrients if it doesn't need them right away. Over time, your body can store too much of these nutrients which can be harmful.

It is advised that people get antioxidants from foods. There are no known cases of healthy adults who have had nutrient toxicity from food intake.  (There are many cases of toxicity from supplements).

This does not mean that you can not take a multivitamin. It just means that you do not need to take extra supplement to get antioxidants.

In summary, eat your fruits, vegetables, and whole grains!  

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