You probably hear the word “antioxidant” thrown around a lot when talking about the latest superfood. It is one of those buzz words that when describing something must mean it is healthy, but does anyone really know why? What are antioxidants and why are they important?
First, we got to know about free radicals. Free radicals are molecules which develop in your body due to natural processes and toxins. This could be air pollution, chemicals in body care or cleaning supplies, stress, and even the waves that come off your appliances and electronics!
Free radicals have an uneven number of electrons making then unstable. To stabilize themselves, they grab electrons from other stable molecules in tissue. This snatching of electrons damages those molecules and tissue which leads to disease.
Antioxidants donate an electron to free radicals to prevent damage. But then you must be thinking: If they donate an electron doesn’t that mean they become unstable and ultimately a free radical itself? Well, these super cool antioxidants actually work together to stabilize themselves instead of using other molecules and tissue! Yay team work!
Ok, so now what are some powerful antioxidants? Here is a list of some great ones:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Glutathione
- NAC
- Quercetin
There are a lot more but those are some powerful ones to keep in mind.
And that is why antioxidants are important! To keep your body healthy and disease free at the molecular level.
