Good health starts at the cellular level. For the body to be healthy, cells must be healthy, and to be healthy, cells need nourishment and protection. Nourishment is provided by nutrients, and protection is dependent on a variety of factors such as your immune system, the nutrients that make up your cell membranes, and very importantly, antioxidants. n nTo understand the significance of antioxidants, you must understand oxidative stress. Every day, during normal metabolism, your body produces molecules known as free radicals. These molecules are unstable: they have an unpaired electron that causes them to take electrons from other molecules, disrupting their structure. This is the process of oxidation. n nIn a state of optimal health, the body’s oxidative processes don’t cause ill health, but in some situations, such as illness, inflammation, stress, intense exercise, nutritional deficiencies, and smoking, the oxidative processes in the body overwhelm the body’s ability to deal with them, and oxidative stress results. This may cause damage to cells and increase the likelihood of cellular dysfunction and premature aging. This is where antioxidants come in.nnWhat Do Antioxidants Do?nn Antioxidants, as their name implies, are against oxidation. They help prevent free radicals from disrupting cells by allowing free radicals to oxidize them. In a way, the antioxidant is sacrificing itself to protect other cells. They defend against oxidative stress and help maintain cellular structure and integrity. A cell that is protected will last longer and function effectively.nnWhere Do Antioxidants Come From?nn Antioxidants are found in various foods, especially fresh fruits, vegetables, and other plants. The color variation of plant foods depends on their constituents, including the antioxidants that are present. For example, the orange color of carrots is due to carotenoids such as beta-carotene, an antioxidant that is converted to vitamin A in the body. Other antioxidants include vitamin C and bioflavonoids, vitamin E, selenium, lipoic acid, and coenzyme Q10. Some antioxidants protect the water-soluble parts of cells, and some protect the fat-soluble parts of cells. To defend against oxidative stress, both parts of the cell need to be protected. That is why it is important to have a good supply of various antioxidants by eating a wide variety of foods. nnWhat Can I Eat to Increase My Intake of Antioxidant-Rich Foods?nn* Brightly colored vegetables such as carrots, peppers, spinach, and broccolin* Citrus fruits, pineapple, grapes, and strawberriesn* Berries such as raspberries, blueberries, and blackberriesn* Almonds, cashews, and brazil nutsn* Egg yolks, oysters, and tunan* Alfalfa and garlicnnShould I Take a Supplement As Well?nn Although it is preferable to eat a varied and healthy diet high in antioxidants, it is becoming more difficult to get everything we need for optimal health from food alone. This is due to such things as green harvesting, which doesn’t allow plant foods to naturally ripen on the vine and fully develop their nutritional value. Also, storage for long periods of time may cause a loss of some nutrients, and processing often removes important nutrients and antioxidants. During processing, some nutrients are added back into the food synthetically, but this is not usually as good as the real thing because it is often the naturally occurring complex or combination of nutrients in a plant that is responsible for its beneficial effect, rather than a particular nutrient on its own. In addition, some cooking methods, such as boiling and frying, can cause a loss of nutrients and antioxidants, further adding to the depletion caused by modern farming practices.n nYour first step should always be to improve your diet as much as possible, and the addition of an effective antioxidant supplement may also prove worthwhile in maximizing your cellular protection and improving overall health.nnHow Do I Choose an Antioxidant Supplement?nn Choose an antioxidant supplement that has clinical research supporting its effectiveness, rather than just picking one up off the shelf. It is best to take a supplement that is natural and that contains a combination of plant ingredients, rather than separate antioxidant nutrients added together in a formula. The plant’s constituents work synergistically and are usually more effective when used whole.n nMany antioxidants are tested for effectiveness via the oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) method, which is an in vitro testing procedure.1 The supplement is then given an ORAC value: the higher the value, the more effective the supplement. This method only measures the antioxidant potential of water-soluble molecules, however, so the sORAC method, which tests the antioxidants in serum (a component of blood), is a more accurate predictor of how a supplement will work in the body. This is because it also tests fat-soluble molecules, and your cells are made up of both fat- and water-soluble parts, which both need protection. n nLook for a supplement that has a high ORAC, or preferably sORAC value, and make sure you check whether the value is per gram of supplement. For example, sometimes an antioxidant supplement will claim to have a high ORAC value, but the fine print says that it is per twenty grams. Divide the value by twenty, and you may in fact have a low ORAC value!nnHow Else Can I Protect My Cells?nn In addition to an optimal intake of antioxidants, other ways to protect your cells and maximize their health are getting adequate sleep, not smoking, balancing intense exercise with periods of rest, learning to deal with and prevent stress, getting enough anti-inflammatory nutrients like essential fatty acids from fish, and achieving and maintaining a healthy body composition.n nYour cells are designed to protect you, but make sure you also protect them! Start increasing your antioxidant intake, and notice the difference in your health and well-being.nn** This article is one of 101 great articles that were published in 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Health. To get complete details on “101 Great Ways to Improve Your Health”, visit
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