Free Radicals, Antioxidants, and Anti Aging

The word ‘antioxidants’ is thrown around a lot by marketers and experts in the health and anti aging industries. But do we know what they are, how they were, or where the best places to get them really are?

To understand the benefit of antioxidants, you must first understand the damage caused by free radicals. The technical definition of a free radical is any atom that contains an “unpaired” electron. What that means for you and me is that one mutated cell likes to attach to other mutated cells, and this can cause disease and signs of aging. Things like saturated fat, smoking, stress, and alcohol are believed to create free radicals.

Antioxidants destroy free radicals in the body, possibly slowing or preventing the development of diseases and signs of aging. Some antioxidants are more powerful than others, and the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) chart can tell you which antioxidants will soak up the most free radicals.

In general, you should aim to eat a diet that is rich in vitamins E, C, and A. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts should allow you to get plenty of powerful antioxidants into your diet to help you prevent disease and enjoy anti aging benefits.