Natural Antioxidants

Topic: Antioxidants|
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Although millions of free radicals bombard your cells on a daily basis, the fact that it takes as long as it does for them to cause

Fruits

Fruits

damage or disease is a tribute to the natural free radical—fighting systems with which you were born. These systems are fighting free radicals every moment of every day.

Each system is ingeniously designed to produce an antioxidant, a natu­rally occurring chemical that binds to the free radical (or the oxidant, as it is sometimes called) before it reaches the cells. In doing so, the antioxidant helps preserve your body’s healthy molecules.

Each antioxidant is designed to work in a different way in a different part of the cell. Its marching orders come from the genetic instructions on your chromosomes, and its power comes from a ready supply of specific nutrients in your diet. One natural antioxidant is dependent upon the availability of copper, zinc, and manganese. Another is

Natural Antioxidants Table

Natural Antioxidants Table

dependent on iron, and a third is dependent on selenium.

How much do you need? That all depends on what it takes to maintain an ideal balance of antioxidants. But since scientists are just beginning to understand what’s necessary, the best that we can do right now is eat a vari­ety of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.