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WHY ARE ANTIOXIDANTS IMPORTANT TO ME? By Scarlet
Paolicchi Did you know that when we breath oxygen, it interacts with certain
molecules in our bodies to create free radicals and that these free radicals
damage important cellular structures such as DNA and cell membranes? Well,
it is true and this damage may cause cells to function poorly and mutate.
Free radical damage may lead to disease and aging. We are exposed to huge
amounts of free radicals from pollution, and pesticides. Every time you
breathe, you take in millions of free radical molecules created by cigarette
smoke, radiation, and automobile emissions. Every time you eat, you consume
free radicals in the form of pesticides and preservatives. This is where
antioxidants come in. Our bodies have a natural defense system against these
free radicals. Our immune system creates antioxidants which are able to
neutralize free radicals and prevent much cellular damage. We also need
antioxidants from other sources such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains,
some meat, poultry and fish. I bet you may recognize these antioxidants:
vitamin E, C and beta carotene (a form of vitamin A. Others include luetin,
lycopene, magnesium, and zinc. There has been much talk about antioxidants
preventing heart disease which is so deadly that it results in an average of
1 death every 34 seconds. The American Heart Association says, “Oxidation of
low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol is important in the
development of fatty buildups in the arteries. This process, called
atherosclerosis (ath"er-o-skleh-RO'sis), can lead to heart attacks and
strokes. Increasing evidence suggests that LDL cholesterol lipoprotein
oxidation and its biological effects can be prevented by using antioxidants
-- both in the diet and in supplements.” In 1993, Harvard University
researchers reported that supplemental doses of vitamin E actually reduced
the risk of heart disease by as much as 54 percent! What effects can
antioxidants have on the big “C” word? This is a question that all of us are
dying to know since one American in every three living today will get
cancer, and one in four will die from it. The National Cancer Institute
says, “Considerable laboratory evidence from chemical, cell culture, and
animal studies indicates that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the
development of cancer. However, information from recent clinical trials is
less clear.” Selenium, an antioxidant mineral can help protect against
breast cancer. One expert, Dr. Gerhard Schrauzer of the University of
California at San Diego, stated, "If every woman in America started taking
selenium supplements or had a high-selenium diet, then within a few years
the breast cancer rate in this country would drastically decline. And
according to a study by Dr. Larry Clark of the University of Arizona, 200
micrograms daily of selenium cut the rate of prostate cancer by 69% and lung
cancer by 34%. Clearly antioxidants are important for all of us to
strengthen and protect our immune systems and to help guard against disease.
Antioxidants may even help us live longer. The theory is that if free
radical damage causes aging, antioxidants in high enough quantities should
be able to slow aging. This theory is advanced in one California study of
people aged 50 or older, where it was found that those "... with a higher
intake of vitamin C were found to have a total death rate only 40% of that
for those with the lower intake of C ... This decrease in the death rate
corresponds to an increase by eleven years in the length of life." Even
small doses of vitamin C can help. According to one UCLA study only 300
milligrams a day can add 6 years to a man's life and two years to a woman's
life. Antioxidants are made naturally by your body but supplementation from
food or other sources is needed. The highest concentrations of antioxidants
are found in the most deeply or brightly colored fruits and vegetables such
as spinach, red bell peppers, raspberries, carrots, apricots, pomegranates,
and tomatoes. |
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