We all hear blueberries are high in antioxidants, we see the activia commercials....but what are antioxidants? Why do we need them? Okay antioxidants fight free radicals, but what the heck is a free radical? I going to get a little technical but with my research free radicals and antioxidants go hand in hand.
The Holistic Theory states that your body is already full of foreign bodies and free radicals but is able to function normally because antioxidants will “disarm” the harmful stuff... thus keeping your body “in balance.”
And the reason we get sick is because the amount of free radicals is greater than the antioxidants fighting them, causing an “imbalance” in the body. This imbalance, if nothing is done about it, can go from you feeling a little under the weather to potentially causing cancer.
Free radicals are the little things which can cause damage to your cells, either by “breaking into” the outer protective layer or by “stealing” from other healthy cells.
Damage to your cells can cause damage to your organs, and damage to your organs can lead to serious health conditions (i.e. Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, inflammation).
When I said they go hand in hand, your body needs some free radicals in order to function normally. Free radicals are needed to create melanin, which is what gives skin its color.
As many as 10,000 DNA lesions occur in every cell in our body each day. Our bodies are exposed to constant possible oxidative damage and our metabolism processes is a big factor. Our own antioxidant defenses may not be adequate for these exposures. The recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables may be a good guideline to follow.
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