The Truth About Antioxidants

Life: One rep at a time The Truth about Antioxidants It’s the epic story of good versus evil. The villains; free radicals, those nefarious DNA attacking poisons of modern life. The good guys; our fearless defenders, antioxidants, poised to protect us from almost everything from cancer to aging. But do you know what a free radical is? Do you know what an antioxidant is? Here’s the skinny on what’s what. Free radicals are unstable molecules in the body that can cause DNA mutation that has been linked to heart disease, Parkinson’s and cancer. They aren’t necessarily villains. They are by-products of a basic metabolic process called oxidation. They are absolutely essential for life. For example, immune cells will shoot free radicals onto invading bacteria in order to kill them. They are an important part of the body’s defense. BUT too many free radicals are harmful, and wow, are we a magnet to free radicals, coming from all different kinds of sources such as pollutants, cigarette smoke, over exposure to the sun, the food we eat and much, much more. When this happens a molecule loses an electron and becomes RADICAL, it will try to steal an electron from a nearby molecule to regain balance, but this can create another free radical causing a chain reaction that can cause cell damage, including DNA damage. Now this is where antioxidants come in. (Get the connection???? Oxidation vs anti-oxidation) An anti oxidant molecule can neutralize a free radical by giving up one of it’s own electrons, but unlike a free radical it can still maintain stability without the electron. We need to make sure we have adequate antioxidants to defeat the surplus of free radicals. Any molecule that protects your cells against oxidation is an antioxidant. This includes familiar nutrients like vitamins, as well as more unfamiliar types like flavonoids and plyphenols, all 8,000 varieties. You need to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to get the best free radical fighting army that you can. And don’t limit your antioxidant army to just fruits and veggies, you need to eat whole grain foods, beans, nuts, seeds, and even organic animal meat. How about fortified antioxidant food?. I’ve seen the labels that state this. I have one word for those who believe the hype. Plleeeeaaasssseeee!!!! So it always seems to come down to eating healthy, doesn’t it? Limiting or no alcohol, no smoking no sugar or processed foods. But how about working out? Uh-oh working out creates oxidation, but in this case it is not a bad thing. Remember I did state earlier that we need some free radicals. Actually free radicals triggered by exercise promote insulin sensitivity and weight loss and possibly reduces your risk of diabetes. So keep eating clean and working out! Build your antioxidant army. Robert J. Caltabiano, IFBB Pro Roberts One on One Fitness Studio 17 Ravine Road Malvern, PA 19355 610.296.8505 www.robertsoneonone.com "This is where fit Happens"