What is an antioxidant and why is it important?
Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals — molecules produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
The sources of antioxidants can be natural or artificial. Certain plant-based foods are thought to be rich in antioxidants. Plant-based antioxidants are a kind of phytonutrient, or plant-based nutrient.
The body also produces some antioxidants, known as endogenous antioxidants. Antioxidants that come from outside the body are called exogenous.
Free radicals are waste substances produced by cells as the body processes food and reacts to the environment. If the body cannot process and remove free radicals efficiently, oxidative stress can result. This can harm cells and body function. Free radicals are also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Antioxidants are said to help neutralize free radicals in our bodies, and this is thought to boost overall health.
Benefits
Colorful fruits and vegetables
Colorful fruits and vegetables can offer a range of antioxidants.
Antioxidants can protect against the cell damage that free radicals cause, known as oxidative stress.
Activities and processes that can lead to oxidative stress include:
mitochondrial activity
excessive exercise
tissue trauma, due to inflammation and injury
ischemia and reperfusion damage
consumption of certain foods, especially refined and processed foods, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, and certain dyes and additives
smoking
environmental pollution
radiation
exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides and drugs, including chemotherapy
industrial solvents
ozone
Factors that increase the production of free radicals in the body can be internal, such as inflammation, or external, for example, pollution, UV exposure, and cigarette smoke.
Oxidative stress has been linked to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, stroke, respiratory diseases, immune deficiency, emphysema, Parkinson's disease, and other inflammatory or ischemic conditions.
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