What are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals that can damage body cells.

Free radicals are harmful compounds that are produced by cells as the body processes food and reacts to the environment.

Free radicals high level in your body can cause harm to your body. They can be a primary cause of multiple illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

If the body does not drain out the free radicals effectively from the body then oxidative stress can increase that can harm body cells and functions.

Various factors like smoking, exposure to sun and pollution, stress, etc can increase free radicals.

The Source of antioxidants can be natural or artificial. The human body also produces antioxidants to keep a check on free radicals.

Other sources for antioxidants can be plants. Fruits, vegetables, and Vitamins E, Vitamin C are effective antioxidants.

It is very important to maintain a balance between free radicals and antioxidants. Free radicals also have an important role to built up immunity. Our immune cells use free radicals to fight infection.

Oxidative stress for a longer duration can damage your DNA and other body cells which can lead to serious illness.

Environmental factors and procedures that can prompt free radical formation

• Air pollution
• UV light radiation exposure
• Exposure to chemicals.
• Cigarette smoking and alcohol intake.
• To much intake of processed foods, trans fats, and fast foods.

Antioxidants help to reduce oxidative damage to cells and biochemicals. However, there is a lack of evidence that a higher intake of antioxidants can reduce the risk of diseases.

SummaryYour body needs to maintain a certain balance between free radicals and antioxidants. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to oxidative stress.

Antioxidant-rich foods

The crucial finding suggests that the intake of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and gives a superior fight to free radicals. Hundred and thousands of substances can act as an antioxidant. Example of antioxidant that comes from outside the body are

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin E
• Beat-carotene
• Selenium
• Manganese

Food Sources

Plant-based foods are the best source of antioxidants. To obtain some specific antioxidants try following food products in your diet.

Dairy produce, eggs, and liver rich in Vitamin A

fruits and vegetables, especially berries, lemons, oranges, and bell peppers are rich in Vitamin C

Sunflower, Nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables are rich sources of Vitamin E

Carrots, peas, spinach, and mangoes are a good source of Beta-carotene

Tomatoes and watermelons are active sources of Lycopene.

Corn, papaya, green leafy vegetables, and oranges source of Lutein

Corn, wheat, nuts, Rice, eggs, cheese, whole grains and legumes source of Selenium

Green and black teas,red grapes,dark chocolate ,pomegranates ,blueberries,apples,broccoli,spinach,lentils good sources of antioxidants.

Should we consume antioxidant supplements?

Antioxidants in the diet are essential for healthful lives, but more is not better. Professional advice to avoid a high dose of antioxidant supplements it has been recognized that antioxidants in the diet are essential for healthful lives.

Research suggests supplementation of the diet with various kinds of antioxidants can improve health and extend life.

Each diet rich in oxidant is always a better idea. But if you don’t follow healthy diet low dose supplements like multivitamins you can include in your diet.

Conclusion :

Antioxidant plays a vital role in fighting free radicals which can harm body cells. A balance must be maintained between free radical and antioxidant. When balance is disturbed then oxidative stress results. Follow a diet rich in antioxidants for a healthy life.

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According to a Seattle-based nutritionist, Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D., eating foods rich in antioxidants is beneficial for your health. “There’s no substitute for getting nutrients through food. The body absorbs and assimilates them far better than in supplement form.”

Food Guide Pyramid:

Kleiner suggests you should follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid. You should eat three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit every day. Kleiner further suggests you should choose at least one citrus fruit, such as an orange, a grapefruit, or a tangerine for vitamin C. And eat at least two orange-yellow or leafy green vegetables every day to increase beta-carotene intake.

Eat Right for Younger Looking Skin:

When you eat a nutritious diet, it helps in making your skin healthy and younger-looking. If you drink a cup of orange juice and eat one raw carrot, you can get twice the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and beta-carotene. However, if you are on a low-fat diet, meeting the RDA for vitamin E may get harder to meet. As per Dr. Kleiner, you can add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to your diet, or eat some nuts or seeds.

Recommended Dietary Allowance:

Here are the RDAs for three of the most common antioxidant nutrients: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene.

Vitamin C:

RDA at least 60 mg. As an estimate, 1/2 cup orange juice contains 70 mg.  Take plenty of citrus fruits, juices, and tomatoes as they are good sources of vitamin C. Eating whole fruit is better than drinking juice as fruits are full of fiber. Avoid heat-pasteurized juice or taking juice in glass containers. Light and heat may destroy some of the vitamin C.

Vitamin E:

RDA for Vitamin E is 8 mg for women / 10 mg. for men. As an estimate, 1 tablespoon of canola oil contains 9 mg of Vitamin E. Good sources of this vitamin include nuts, seeds and their oils. Also, wheat germ and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and trout are a good source of Vitamin E. Instead of butter or margarine, use canola, olive, or another vegetable oil when cooking.

Beta-carotene:

There’s no established RDA for Beta-carotene. However, Dr. Kleiner recommends 5-6 mg. One carrot can give you 12 mg of Beta-carotene. Leafy green vegetables including broccoli, yellow and orange vegetables are all good sources. To get plenty of Beta-carotene, avoid snacks like popcorns and potato chips and opt for prepackaged, washed and peeled baby carrots.

Antioxidant vitamin supplements:

If you feel you are not getting sufficient nutrients through diet alone, you can take an all-in-one antioxidant vitamin supplement a day. But continue to have a healthy and balanced diet.

Conclusion:

There are several over-the-counter cosmetics containing antioxidants. But by themselves, they may not be effective enough. So it is best to ‘feed’ antioxidants to your skin with a healthy, antioxidant-rich diet for younger-looking skin.

With proper skin care, regular exercise, a healthy diet, adequate sleep, and plenty of water intake, you can enjoy better health, improved quality of life, increased stamina, with a younger-looking skin and a glowing complexion!

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Uses

Vitamin C is one of the most widely known vitamins these days. It will surprise you that body needs vitamin C for over 300 plus functions. Vitamin c is also known as ascorbic acid, water-soluble, carbohydrate like substance involved in various metabolic processes. Vitamin C has the power to heal the body and without it, the body won’t be able to heal itself either. The body is not able to make vitamin C on its own neither it stores vitamin C. That is why you should include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet. Vitamin C has been proved to help protect against heart disease, cancer, and other serious illness. Vitamin C is also vital for the synthesis of collagen. The collagen helps in quick healing in case of cuts or other injuries by repairing the damage. Without sufficient C vitamin, this would be very hard. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant and helps other vitamins and minerals to be absorbed better by the body. Folic acid and iron, for example, need vitamin C to show their usefulness to the best. Its antioxidant power protects body cells against damage from harmful molecules called free radicals. The more vitamin C body has a better defense system and immunity against colds and other ailments. Vitamin C does not guarantee that person will never catch a virus but helps as a shield for early recovery. Vitamin C has a vital role in managing high blood pressure.

Source

As per experts, the recommended daily intake for vitamin C is about 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. It must be obtained from the diet or supplements.  Citrus food is a rich source of Vitamin c. Cranberries, kiwi fruit, melons, acerola cherry, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and spinach have high c vitamin content. Unfortunately, since the C vitamin is water-soluble, many vegetables lose much of their Vitamin C content if they are boiled for a long time. If you feel you are not getting sufficient Vitamin C from your diet, vitamin C supplements are an excellent way to boost your vitamin C intake. Consult your doctor before having it.

Conclusion

For strong body immunity and protect your body from high blood pressure, flu, cancer risk, eye diseases or treat lead toxicity daily intake of vitamin C is very essential.

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There are many types of anti-aging skincare products available in the market these days. Here are the details of some of them.

Anti-aging skincare products with Vitamin C:

Vitamin C based anti-aging skincare products can be beneficial for maintaining healthy skin. These products enable the synthesis of collagen which is a structural protein found in the skin. These types of anti-aging skincare products are related to antioxidants. However, Vitamin C based skincare products may get oxidized themselves when they come into contact with air during their usage. To prevent this oxidization, some anti-aging products use the derivatives of vitamin C. These are more stable and less expensive. However, their anti-aging properties are also less effective than vitamin C based skincare products. Role of Vitamin C in skincare.

Vitamin E and Lipoic Acid-based skincare products:

Vitamin E and Lipoic Acid are excellent antioxidants too. It is a fat-soluble antioxidant. It helps in building resistance against infection. This vitamin is also known to inhibit cancer. Lipoic acid is considered excellent for combating the signs of aging. It is said to reverse the skin damage caused by the aging process.

Phytochemicals:

Anti-aging skincare products based on Phytochemicals are also quite popular. Phytochemicals are extracted from plants. Many phytochemicals are in use today. They may prevent the occurrence of certain types of cancer including prostate cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer. That is why they are also included in anti-aging skincare products.

Vitamin B based skincare products:

B-vitamin B5, B6, and B12 are also used in some anti-aging skincare products. A 2018 research found that vitamin B could help the body produce healthy new skin cells. Some other studies suggest B-complex vitamins are more effective if people apply them directly to the skin. Vitamin B-3, or niacinamide, may give relief from some signs of skin aging.

Conclusion:

The field of anti-aging skincare products is vast and constantly growing. The market is full of products that promise you a younger-looking skin for longer. Although many of the currently available skincare products are effective to some extent, there is a lot of scope for improvement. Hopefully, we may soon have a product that could really work as an elixir of youth, at least for our skin.

However, do remember that just using these products is not enough to have a healthy skin. Physical and emotional health problems, lack of sleep, stress, etc. also harm your skin. So, to maintain healthy, glowing skin, take care of your overall health too. Drink plenty of water. Don’t skimp on your sleep. Eat regular and healthy meals. Exercise every day and stay away from bad habits like smoking and excessive drinking. When you are healthy and feel good, your skin will feel healthy and supple too.

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