Free radicals attack healthy cells to stabilize their lack of an electron. Free radicals are a natural by-product of the body turning food into energy. Excess free radical buildup can be caused by stress, cigarette smoking, harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, the waste product of metabolism, toxic chemicals from pollution, contaminates and/or pesticides in foods, and high intensity/short period exercising known as distress exercise. Free radicals are missing one electron due to oxidation, making them unstable. In order to regain stability the free radical will steal an electron from a healthy, balanced cell thereby weakening and damaging the healthy cell. Our DNA can also be altered by free radical attack resulting in aging and illness.

Because they are so dangerous, our bodies are designed to deal with these free radicals. Their danger lies in that they attack the body itself, damaging critical cellular molecules such as DNA. Cells with damaged DNA then become susceptible to developing disease, and premature aging.

The importance of antioxidants in diet and by supplementation is in their role of destroying the harmful oxidants that damage and weaken our healthy cells. As the damage from unchecked free radical destruction increases, our bodies become vulnerable to the development of disease and premature aging. At least 50 diseases can be linked to the destruction caused by free radical oxidation; diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart disease, peptic ulcers, diverticulosis, sickle cell disease, Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, Parkinson’s disease, leukemia, pancreatitis, asthma, ulcerative colitis, bleeding in the brain cavity and AIDS, as well as premature aging.

Antioxidants are either nutrient or nonnutrient; vitamins C and E, Beta-carotene, and selenium are nutrient antioxidants; nonnutrient antioxidants are the carotenoids, polyphenols and phytochemicals. The main sources for these antioxidants are fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating a wide range of different types and colors – blueberries, green and red grapes, deep orange fruits, all help your body produce the free radical scavengers known as endogenous antioxidants. The

more colorful the fruit or vegetable the more benefits you will derive. An antioxidant enriched diet of naturally rich fruits and vegetables along with supplementation can improve your immune system increasing your ability to ward off illness and disease.

One of the most noticeable areas of free radical damage is in the skin. Chain reactions are set up when free radicals attempt to steal electrons from the natural proteins in healthy skin cells by more and more free radicals attacking them for stability, thus weakening and causing damage to the cellular structure leaving waste products of misshapen and broken cellular molecules. Antioxidants alone cannot eliminate wrinkles or other effects of aging. Growing old is a natural process during which skin thickness increases and elasticity decreases. By avoiding free radical triggers to reduce the damage caused, and making sure your body has the antioxidants to combat damage, combined with a good skin care regimen that includes topical treatment to avoid environmental stresses will help maintain youthful looking skin. The antioxidants in vitamins C, E, and Beta-carotene assist in skin repair and the strengthening of blood vessels. Antioxidants protect collagen, which is the foundation for blood vessels and all connective tissue.

Many of the symptoms of aging are signs of free radical damage. When free radicals attack cell membranes they may become hardened so that nutrients cannot penetrate the cells, or they may break down, collapsing the cell allowing the cell fluids to drain out. In skin this leads to a leathery, wrinkled and sagging appearance. In the joints affected this causes the loss of synovial fluids that lubricates them resulting in stiffness. In cells the DNA damage causes inappropriate cell divisions opening the possibility of disease.

There are hundreds of studies showing the benefits of antioxidants from improving our immune functions, reducing toxicity from medications, helping in the prevention of age related maculopathy (the degeneration of eye tissue), improved healing and reduced swelling and bruising from surgery, and the benefits of fighting off disease and premature aging.

Here are some of the sources for antioxidants found in foods. Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, seeds, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, olives, avocado, and liver; Vitamin C in oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cantaloupe and strawberries; Beta-carotene in cantaloupe, mangoes, papaya, pumpkin, peppers, spinach, kale, squash, sweet potatoes, apricots, and blueberries; Selenium is in seafood, beef, chicken, pork, brazil nuts, brown rice, and whole wheat bread. Even a glass of wine provides polyphenol antioxidant benefits. Fresh, fresh-packed or frozen foods will have more antioxidants than canned, processed or heated kinds.

Eating the amount of fruits and vegetables needed each day may not be possible for many of us. For one reason or another, if you are in this group, then adding antioxidant supplements to your daily intake is a way to ensure you are getting at least the minimum daily requirement while guarding against possible weight gain. One way or another your body must have antioxidants to neutralize excess free radicals, to reduce the damage they cause.

In supplements look for natural vitamin E; the names d-alpha tocopherol and d-alpha tocopheryl are what to look for on labels. The words acetate or succinate also indicate a more natural and biologically correct form. The synthetic vitamin E may guard against LDL oxidation. Beta-carotene, the precursor type of vitamin A, should be taken instead of the regular vitamin A. Carotenoids are nonnutrient antioxidants. Some of them are lutein, lycopene, glutathione, and quercetin.

Great OLEDA Antioxidant Supplements