Antioxidants - What Are They?

 

Antioxidants, air, moisture, and light combined oxidizes a car or anything made of metal.  In time the chrome will rust away. This destruction process is called oxidation.

 

To explain it this way, remove the antioxidant coating from an apple by peeling away its skin and exposing the insides of the apple to the air. It will spoil quickly. Pour lemon juice, which contains antioxidants, on the exposed apple and it will delay it from spoiling.

 

If you look around, we as humans have skin, trees have bark, animals have skin, even thicker than humans, and anything you see on Mother Earth has a protective area to cover itself. This is Mother Earth's way of protecting our species, plants, animals and any other life on this planet. The Great Spirit (Creator) knew in infinite wisdom that we would be destroying ourselves as soon as we gained the knowledge to do so. We are a planet of destruction. Knowledge and progress is destroying the human race and all of its inhabitants. Mother Earth cries out for mercy but we do not hear her call. We continually destroy her daily. In destroying her then we are destroying our selves. We are part of the web of life as stated by Chief Seattle.

 

All living cells must breathe oxygen. A by-product of cellular respiration is the production of a small number of toxic oxygen molecules called "free radicals". These are atoms that are missing an electron. So they go searching to steal electrons from nearby atoms and in doing so destroy cells and tissues. An antioxidant stops the damaging free radical and oxygen molecules. So as long as antioxidants, the "rust removers" of living cells, are abundant, oxidation will not destroy tissues and promote disease. Scientists estimate that the genetic material (DNA) inside living cells in the human body is being hit by 10,000 "free radicals" bullets each day. An antioxidant-rich diet and food supplements are likely to be needed to protect our genes. 

 

The human body has an elaborate antioxidant system to protect itself. The system which you could call a team can be likened to a football team. If you recall a defensive team has some big lineman who are the front line against the opponent, backed up by the linebackers and then by safety men.

 

The antioxidant team in your body works the same way. The first line of defense is the antioxidants. There are three glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalyses. The linebackers or second line of defense are vitamins A, C, D and E. The third line of defense is the carotenoids, the bioflavonoid, and coenzyme Q10 (needed daily).   Each antioxidant can become oxidized themselves. Fortunately, other antioxidants come along and donate electrons to re-activate them.

 

So antioxidants exist in two forms, their active (reduced) or oxidized form. Antioxidants whirl through living tissues, reactivating each other. Vitamins A, C, and E protect each other in a circular fashion. Vitamin A regenerates vitamin C, vitamin C regenerate’s vitamin E, and vitamin E regenerates vitamin A. The antioxidant system has other backup systems. For instance, beta carotene coverts to vitamin A in the liver, so it is a back up to vitamin A. Bioflavonoid enhance and prolong the antioxidant action of vitamin C and coenzyme Q10 works in place of vitamin E when vitamin E levels are low. Multivitamins should be formulated the way nature has arranged the antioxidant defense force in an "Antioxidant Vine or Tree".

 

If any portion of this antioxidant defense force is missing a health problem may result. Without having a selection of antioxidants to protect them, living tissues perish. Just like the football team those lines up without all its players on the field. If there is a deficiency of just one antioxidant the opponent will find this weakness and capitalize on it and use the lack of it to make you sick. It all about checks and balances. Just like life if you aren’t in balance then you are out of balance spiritually, physically, and mentally.

 

Have you noticed that I continually use the word "supplement"? It is a very careful choice of words. Never forget that vitamin pills are a supplement to a healthy diet, not a replacement for it. Nutritionists accurately advise the public to rely on plants foods, the five daily servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, to supply the variety of nutrients required for health. You can also get a lot of nutrients from herbal teas. We know that the best-made pills can never supply the hundreds of natural antioxidants and other nutrients found in plant foods or herbal teas. For example, there are over 200 carotenoid pigments found in plant foods in miniscule amounts. It would be impossible to provide them all in vitamins supplements. However, with so few adults consuming the five servings of plant foods daily, a well designed multivitamin pill becomes a reality against premature aging and disease.

    

Natural remedies are far better than other remedies that have all the side effects that you have to contend with. The recommended daily allowance is obsolete. What weak vitamins do provide is the recommended daily allowance, now recognized as outdated by many nutritionists. If you are a growing child, pregnant or lactating, under physical or emotional stress, participate in regular physical exercise, smoke tobacco, consume alcohol, are exposed to toxic chemicals, have a chronic health problem like diabetes or high blood pressure, take certain medications, regularly consume fast foods or junk foods, or over age 70, then you will need to consume more than the recommended daily allowance.

 

Athletes, exercisers, untold millions, exercise produces more oxidation within body; countered by antioxidants. Heart Disease patients: 50 + Million. Vitamin E may be beneficial. Hypertensive patients: 43 million, 500 mg vitamin C daily reduces blood pressure similar to drugs. Diabetics: 15.7 million 400 units of vitamin E has protective effect. Hospitalized: 33 million hospitalized have increased need for antioxidant nutrients. Pregnant and lactating females: 4 million. US women give birth annually; off spring must obtain nutrients from mother. Fertile women require folic acid before conception to prevent birth defects. Tobacco Smokers: 66 million: One cigarette takes 11 minutes from your life. One pack of cigarettes takes 3 hours and 40 minutes from your life. Smokers require 25 mg vitamin C for each cigarette smoked. Retirees at risk for cataracts: 34 million. 10 year users of 250 mg vitamin C have 45-83% reduction in risk. Everyone should be on a good multivitamin so that they can have a healthy body. Preferably a liquid vitamin because the body can assimilate it better than pill or capsule form. When taking vitamins or herbs always read the instructions on the label for instructions.