In our bodies we have unstable molecules called free radicals and can wreak havoc. The way to get rid of oxidants is of course with antioxidants.

The Healing Brew

Tea and tea drinking has a long tradition in many cultures. In China tea drinking has long been associated with good health, now it seems that modern medicine is catching up with this belief. Tea antioxidants are thought to be extremely helpful in preventing cancer and keeping the body working in tip top condition.

This is because tea antioxidants have the ability to catch oxidants roving around in our bodies. It is important to keep the number of oxidants in our bodies in check as oxidants can cause damage to genetic material and cell proteins. Tea antioxidants actually have the ability to repair some of the damage. Some studies have shown that drinking tea regularly can help to prevent cancer.

Types of Tea

Although all types of tea contain tea antioxidant, the level of antioxidants that are found in different types of teas differs. All tea originates from the same plant but the process that each variety goes through means that different types of teas will have different levels of antioxidants.

Green tea is often advocated as a drink that has many health properties. That is because there are high levels of green tea antioxidant that are found in each cup of green tea. This is probably due to the fact that green tea has the least amount of processing. Black tea also has significant tea antioxidant levels but less antioxidant than found in green tea.

Not all teas are good for you. Instant iced teas hardly have any antioxidants in it. Most instant iced teas also have high sugar content and are probably not good for your overall health. Substitute packet iced teas with real tea and try to introduce green tea into your daily diet. Chai Tea is a good natural source of antioxidants. It comes free from chemicals and is not packaged in tea bags.

Antioxidant are very important, anyone concerned about their health should be aware of them. An antioxidant is a molecule that is capable of slowing or even completely preventing the oxidation of other molecules, namely free radicals which are dangerous in the body and which can actually end up doing damage to the body.

In other words, an antioxidant is something that helps by slowing down or preventing oxidation in the body and this can be very beneficial for the health in a number of different ways. They can make a very positive contribution to your health and improve your general state of health and well being.

They can also provide other benefits, such as to your hair and skin, and so consuming foods that are high in antioxidants is obviously one of the best things that you can do for your health.

Where to Find Antioxidants

There a few different types of antioxidants, these include Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin E (tocopherols, tocotrienols), Polyphenolic antioxidants (resveratrol, flavonoids) and Carotenoids (lycopene, carotenes).

High levels of Vitamin C and/or Carotenoids are found in fruits and vegetables. There is actually quite a variety of different of different fruits that contain antioxidants and this includes cherries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, crowberries, blueberries, wild blueberries, black currants, pomegranates, grapes, oranges, plums, pineapples, kiwi fruits, and grapefruits.

Vegetables such as kale, chili pepper, red cabbage, peppers, parsley, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, spinach, lemon, ginger and red beets, dry fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, and cereals are all high in antioxidants as well.

Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils such as soybean, palm, olive and sunflower.

Green tea is reportedly contains the highest concentration of polyphenolic antioxidants, but these can also be found in coffee, soy, fruit, olive oil, chocolate (especially dark chocolate), oregano and red wine.

You can speak to your doctor or nutritionist for more information, and to get a better idea of which foods contain the highest levels of antioxidants so you can increase your intake of these foods in your diet and ensure your optimum health.

Another way to look at the importance of any antioxidant supplement is to view it as a rust inhibitor. With bare metal, two things are required for the oxidation process to being; oxygen and water. Anyone who has ever left unprotected metal outside has seen the affect of the oxidation process in the form of rust. The cover that protects it from the rain or an extra coat of protective paint on metals are the antioxidant supplement the metals need to protect the metal from the effects of the elements.

In the body, the antioxidant supplement helps control the bits of rust, more accurately free radicals, that break off from the chemical reactions that naturally occur in the body. These free radicals, so-called because they float around in the system drawing electrons from other cells, damaging them as a consequence. Antioxidants are charged with the task of scouring the body and gathering up all the free radicals before they can cause harm to other cells.

Complex Process May Require Some Outside Help

While the body produces many of its own antioxidants, there is a growing understanding that the body might require some outside help in rounding up all the free radicals loose in the system. An antioxidant supplement is designed to lend a hand to the natural process and in many instances is a necessary part of a healthy body.

There are numerous sources available for antioxidant supplements including in foods, medications or even in antioxidant drinks. Green tea is alleged to contain a natural form of antioxidants and is one of the most commonly used antioxidant supplement. The use of these products continue to increase as more people pay more attention to the little things they can do to support their health.

Keeping the system healthy and fighting off the free radicals is the job of the body’s immune system. However, there may be times when the number of free radicals exceeds what the body can collect on its own and by using an antioxidant supplement the system can get a little needed help.

Top Antioxidant Foods

Of all the different antioxidant food that there is out there, there are a few antioxidant food choices that are worth eating more of. One of the foods with the highest level of antioxidants is dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is produced by the cocoa bean, which is known to be packed full of antioxidants. It is also protects against heart disease, and reduces the amounts of free radicals in your body. Until recently hot tea was thought to contain the largest amount of antioxidants, now we know that dark chocolate has the largest amount.

Fruit is another high antioxidant food. Berries are all chalk full of antioxidants. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are all full of these antioxidants, and are going to offer you optimum health benefits. They are also available year round either fresh or canned, which makes it easier for you to work them into your diet.

The benefits of this antioxidant food are truly plentiful. They give you anti aging protection against degenerative diseases and help to slow the aging process of your skin, cells, tissues and organs.

If you are unsure on this topic or have any questions you should speak to a nutritionist. They are trained professionals in this area and will be able to offer you a ton of valuable advice and information on this matter.

Antioxidants boost immune resistance to flues, viruses, and infections. They offer greatly reduced incidence of all cancers, prevention of glaucoma and macular degeneration, reduced risk of cholesterol-oxidation and heart disease, and anti aging of the cells in the body. They work by fighting free radicals in the body which this is important. Free radical oxidation damage is the primary cause of aging and is as harmful and destructive to your body as rust is to your car.

Not only will you start looking better but you will have better health on the inside. Good health starts from the inside, topical creams will not help as much as good foods.

What are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are compounds that will help to cancel out or balance the unhealthy environments that we live in today. It doesn’t matter if you are a non smoker and run three miles a day, everyone is exposed to pollution, sunlight, and second hand smoke at some point. Your body is exposed to free radicals when you are exposed to these three things.

Detoxifying your body is the only way to get rid of free radicals. The best way to do this is to have an antioxidant diet. An antioxidant diet consists of foods that are rich with antioxidants. You can even take a dietary supplement to help you filter out all the toxins you absorb in the course of a day.

You can start your antioxidant diet by color coding your food. Look for foods with distinctive colors, red tomatoes and cherries, bright yellow corn and mangoes, and deep blue blueberries are all good things to have in an antioxidant diet. Another way to find antioxidants in food is to look at the nutritional content of your food.

If the food you are eating is rich in Vitamin A, C, and E then you are already getting plenty of antioxidants. Besides providing you with protection against age related diseases these foods are good for your overall health. Try to minimize cooking the foods in your antioxidant diet. Foods such as tomatoes have more antioxidants when raw than when you cook them. If possible try to buy organic so that your food has no chemical traces in it.