Archive for May, 2010
The Importance of Antioxidants
For the last several years, “antioxidant” has been a buzzword in the health industry, but few people actually know what an antioxidant is or how it is supposed to benefit them. In order to answer these basic questions, first we must define what a free radical is. During natural metabolic processes, our bodies produce free radicals, which contribute to a myriad of health problems. Typically, our bodies are capable of combating free radicals, but other external factors, such as smoking, sun exposure and pollutants, can raise our levels.
Essentially, antioxidants work to eradicate free radicals from our system. Antioxidants can be found naturally in fruits and vegetables, such as the antioxidant acai berry. Different antioxidants target various free radicals and areas of the body, so it is important to get them from a range of sources.