You may have heard the word antioxidants when buying or eating certain foods, like berries or nuts. But did you know that antioxidants can help protect our cells from free radicals? Or that they can help reduce the risk of life-changing health complications?
Antioxidants are essential for humans to survive and combat unwanted diseases: but often go unrecognized.
Let’s take a closer look at what antioxidants do, how they work, and how you can start prioritizing them into your diet today:
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances that work to fight against free radicals inside our bodies. The goal of antioxidants is to destabilize free radicals before they can cause harm to healthy cells. Antioxidants are in foods that are rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, phytochemicals, and beta-carotene. These are called exogenous antioxidants.
Endogenous antioxidants are a type of natural antioxidant that is produced by our metabolism.
What are free radicals?
Free radicals are uncharged molecules that live inside of our bodies. They are a natural by-product created by our metabolism but can also be created by exposure to environmental factors and lifestyle changes.
Surprisingly, our bodies need free radicals to function. They are used to fight infections, combat harmful bacteria, and keep everything functioning. However, without an abundance of antioxidants to neutralize the free radicals, it can lead to unwanted side effects.
For example, some outside factors that can negatively impact free radicals include smoking, UV exposure, pollution, and alcohol.
If you were to lay in the sun all day and expose your body to high levels of UV exposure, your body would create an abundance of free radicals. If you don't have enough antioxidants in your body to combat the free radicals, it could result in organ or tissue damage, unwanted wrinkles, or even worse: cancer.
This is why what we choose to put in our body plays an integral role in body function. If we didn’t have antioxidants to neutralize free radicals, our bodies would not combat cell damage effectively.
When our bodies are functioning properly free radicals can work for us, not against us. We just need to maintain a healthy intake of antioxidants to maintain balance.
Why antioxidants are important
It's true: your body needs antioxidants to function and keep free radicals neutralized. From assisting with cell repair to fighting off severe illness, our bodies need them to maintain balance and keep us healthy.
Here are a few key benefits:
Reduce oxidative stress
Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance between the free radicals and the antioxidants in our bodies. It has been linked to health issues such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and even DNA damage. Our bodies will naturally fight this imbalance by producing endogenous antioxidants, but sometimes that isn’t enough.
To avoid oxidative stress, you'll want to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants, prioritize supplements like EM-X Gold, and be mindful of your environmental exposures.
Fight Inflammation
Antioxidants work to protect your tissues, fight oxidation, and reduce your risk of unwanted health issues or inflammation. Increasing your antioxidants intake can also help keep daily cell damage at a minimum and repair cells.
For example, free radicals can cause inflammation in your joints, known as arthritis. Antioxidants will work to eliminate inflammation and avoid these types of issues. However, you can’t rely solely on your body's endogenous antioxidants to fight inflammation. The best way to reduce your risk is to prioritize antioxidant-rich foods or consider a supplement.
Reduce the risk of diseases
Free radicals can lead to oxidation, which has been linked to diseases and health conditions like Alzheimer's, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Antioxidants work to minimize damage caused by free radicals and help keep your cells healthy to decrease your chances of developing serious health conditions. When there is balance within the body, we are less likely to develop serious illnesses.
Anti Aging Properties
Nutritional antioxidants have proven to keep your skin looking healthy. You may be surprised to see that antioxidants are found in some of your favorite skincare brands. This is because antioxidants reduce oxidative stress, which can break down the collagen in our skin. When the collagen in our skin breaks down, it can make us look older than we appear and create fine lines and wrinkles.
Certain antioxidants can also help brighten the skin and correct any unwanted aging. If you’re looking to incorporate antioxidants into your skincare routine, you can try vitamin C.
How to increase your antioxidant intake
Studies show that antioxidants work best when they are combined with other nutrients or other antioxidants. Antioxidants can commonly be found in leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, and even some meats. The best way to increase your antioxidant intake is to start prioritizing certain foods in your diet.
Here are a few to keep in mind to help you get started:
- Berries or Cherries
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Kale
- Coffee
- Black Pepper
- Garlic
- Walnuts
- Wine
How EM-X Gold can help
It’s no secret that our modern way of life is leading to an increase in oxidants, which is why antioxidants are becoming more and more essential to our daily lives. If you’re unsure if you’re getting enough antioxidants in your diet, you can always utilize a supplement like EM-X Gold. This fermented health beverage is a powerful antioxidant that is rich in the needed vitamins to fight off oxidation.
Antioxidants play an integral role in our bodies. As you begin to look for ways to incorporate more antioxidants into your daily routine, we suggest trying EM-X Gold. Finding more ways to add antioxidants into your diet can help you reach your goals and keep you looking and feeling healthy for years to come.
