What Are Antioxidants And Why Are They Important?

By Tom Nelson


A number of physicians are advocating veggies and fruits to be included in a daily diet. There are plenty of great reasons to the advice, but one of the reasons is definitely the antioxidants that almost all fruits and veggies offer. What exactly are antioxidants? Why are they extremely important?

Process of oxidation takes place in every single place from piece of banana turning brownish color to rust on a piece of metal. It is a normal process that also happens inside a human body. Our body usually deals with oxidation well, but at times it results in cell damage. The damaged cells are referred to as free radicals. They are molecules with unpaired electron. Since it is unpaired, it will attempt to steal an electron from another molecule. Once this activity becomes excessive, it may trigger various health problems which include cancer, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. Pollution, radiation and cigarette smoke also add up to the growth of free radicals. Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize free radicals.

By supplying an electron to free radicals, antioxidants minimize cell damage. It is important to eat food items that come with antioxidants on a regular basis to stay in good health. Lots of vegetables and fruit make the perfect source of antioxidants thanks to vitamins E and C. The vitamins are known to be among the best antioxidants. Fruits and veggies such as strawberry, kiwi, papaya, spinach, bell pepper, and broccoli are the ideal supply of vitamin C and E. However these vitamins are not the sole source of antioxidants and actually they are certainly not the utmost source.

A growing number of health nutritionists agree Epigallocatechin or generally known as EGCG could be a more powerful source of antioxidants compared to vitamins C and E. A lot of researchers agree that EGCG is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective compared to vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals. EGCG is an element included in green tea extract. Many of the known tea health benefits are preventions against depressive disorders, heart disease, cancer, gaining weight and bad cholesterol.

There have been many lab tests pertaining to the effects of green tea on cancer cells. The final results reveal the dose of 300mg of EGCG on a daily basis to be the most ideal amount. A cup of tea includes roughly 100mg of EGCG. A lot more case studies are on the way, yet as for now 3 cups each day looks like a good amount.

There are multiple ways to take in green tea. Standard way is to brew and to drink the hot tea. This is great way especially when consumed with meals. One additional preferred way is to blend tea powder with citrus water. Combining citrus juice with EGCG is actually recognized to multiply the health benefits. More simple way is to consume green tea pills. This is perfect for individuals disliking the taste.



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