Nutrition

****UNDER CONSTRUCTION****

So...learning process for all of us here!!  I promise!!  Now I know that when I work out to lose a few extra pounds, my thought process is more about getting on that treadmill or other exercise machine and breaking a sweat!!  Well, we all know that there is more to it than that.  So here is where I will be doing some research and sharing what I learn.  I will try to update this at least once a week!!!

July 9. 2011

 

If you are like me, Most things that are important in nutrition are over your head and just mind boggling. (Remember, I am a newbie in all of this!!!) So, I personally decided to see what the big deal was with Antioxidants and why everyone RAVES about them.

So here is what I found in my research. Kind of cool to learn about.

Antioxidants help:

• Destroy the free radicals that damage cells.
• Promote the growth of healthy cells.
• Protect cells against premature, abnormal aging.
• Fight age-related macular degeneration.
• Provide excellent support for the body's immune system, making it an effective disease preventative.

What is an Antioxidant?

In scientific terms an antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. HOLY COW!!! Say what? I can see where this gets confusing!! But essentially, antioxidants are phytochemicals, vitamins and other nutrients that protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals. So basically they help protect us from the bad chemicals that cause heart disease and other related diseases.

 Even as scary as that sounds, the good news is that antioxidants can be found in several YUMMY foods that most of us enjoy!!! Blueberries, strawberries, and broccolli are just a few food that contain antioxidants.

Benefits of antioxidants

  

Numerous studies with plant phytochemicals show that phytochemicals with antioxidant activity may reduce risk of cancer and improve heart health.

Antioxidants Reduce the Risk of Cancer

  

Though it isn't completely conclusive, there have been numerous studies A large randomized trial on antioxidants and cancer risk was the Chinese Cancer Prevention Study (1993). This study showed that a combination of the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium significantly reduced incidence of cancer. However, the Alpha-Tocopherol / Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (1994) showed that intake of beta-carotene increased lung cancer rates of male smokers. SO STOP WITH THE SMOKING ALREADY!!!!

  

Antioxidants Protect the Heart

 Everyone knows that cholesterol causes heart diseases and tries to limit cholesterol intake. But a more important cause of fatty buildups in the arteries is the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The use of dietary supplements of antioxidants could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but there is no hard evidence. At this stage, studies only show that the intake of foods, naturally rich in antioxidants reduces this risk.

  

I hope this helps!!! I have to admit that before me researching antioxidants for this post, I didn't know much about them, but now I feel a little more educated and informed! And I hope that you do too, or at least intrigued enough to enhance your research!!!