Anti Aging and Antioxidants
Here is a simplistic explanation why some people age a lot quicker than others and what can be done right now to keep your body young and healthy.
Oxidation is happens from the effects of free radicals on cells and tissues in the body. It is one of the primary sources of damage associated with aging.
Reducing oxidation in the body will dramatically reduce the damaging effects of aging.
Knowing how and why your body changes and what you can do to slow this process down, can extend your life by many years and keep you looking and feeling a million dollars. This knowledge can also help you age healthily and make the necessary life-style changes to avoid heart problems or strokes and stop developing such conditions as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and eye disease.
Our bodies normally make free radicals as part of daily metabolism. The real problems come when our ability to neutralize and eliminate these are non existent.
In addition, when we are exposed to certain types of environmental poisons, more free radicals enter our systems. 5 examples of this are cigarette smoke, alcohol and pollution, weight training and work stress.
The importance of antioxidants in your diet is the way you will combat the situation. These are the substances, which fight the oxidative damage in our bodies. Mostly we get these from eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
Antioxidants
Think of all the cells in your body, including your brain cells, each getting hit by free-radicals endless times throughout the day. This damaging process is called “oxidation,” which damages your cells.
Welcome Antioxidants!
Antioxidants are compounds that work together with enzymes and nutrients to neutralize and clear away free radicals that are known to harm our bodily cells.
Antioxidants play a significant role in your health, as they can control how fast you age by fighting free radicals
Free radicals are produced in the body from a build up of stress, pollution, processed foods, smoking, alcohol, sun exposure, sickness, certain toxins found in personal care items.
Antioxidants protect the cells from this damage caused by free radical build in in the body.
They are commonly found in coloured plant foods such as berries, tomatoes, cherries, carrots and the list goes on.
The most common antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E, beta-carotene, lycopene and selenium.
Here are some antioxidants worth knowing about and why it could benefit you.
Glutathione – Glutathione is found in every cell in your body. It is considered as the body’s most powerful antioxidant.
The primary function of Glutathione is to protect your cells and mitochondria from oxidative damage. It is an essential antioxidant for detoxification, utilizing your body’s energy and preventing disease associated with aging.
Glutathione has a big hand in assisting utilization of other antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, CoQ10, Alpha Lipoic Acid and all your Fresh fruit and Vegetables.
As you age it gets more and more important to get this antioxidant in supplemental form as your body’s ability to naturally produce this antioxidant will decline.
CoQ10 – Besides from protecting you from free radicals, it also:
◦ Helps produce more energy for your cells
◦ Provides support for your heart health, immune system, and nervous system
◦ Helps reduce the signs of normal aging
◦ Helps maintain normal blood pressure levels in your body
Alpha Lipoic Acid – ALA is one of the most effective antioxidants to excrete free radicals from the body.
This antioxidant has the ability to regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin c, vitamin e and glutathione.
So if your body is getting in adequate ALA it will help regenerate these antioxidants when they have been depleted.
The best natural sources come from Grass-Fed Meats
Astaxanthin – Astaxanthin deserves a big mention due to its nutritional advantage. It is technically a carotenoid (class of naturally-occurring pigments that have powerful antioxidant properties) and is known to be 65 times more powerful than Vitamin C. Another great fact on this powerful antioxidant is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier, providing protection for your brain and nervous system. Astaxanthin is a great product I would recommend to everyone due to the benefits it would provide the human body. A good food option to get this potent antioxidant in is Wild Salmon.
Resveratrol – Resveratrol is the antioxidant described as the fountain of youth. Like Astaxanthin, Resveratrol crosses the blood-brain barrier providing protection for your brain and nervous system.
As well as providing free radical protection, this antioxidant can help:
◦ Inhibit the spread of cancers
◦ Lower blood pressure
◦ Keep your heart healthy and improve elasticity of your blood vessels
◦ Neutralise your anti-inflammatory response
◦ Help Prevent Alzheimer’s disease
Resveratrol is found in a range of vegetables, red grapes, red wine and cocoa
Vitamin C – The human body cannot make Vitamin C so its essential you get this potent antioxidant from your diet. Vitamin C is water soluble meaning your body will not store it so regular uptake of vitamin c is necessary.
Free radical damage is known to accelerate aging and contribute to the development of heart disease and other health conditions. Vitamin C is known to block some of this free radical damage and plays a strong role in protecting heart health.
One Danish study actually shows people who eat an adequate amount of fresh fruit and vegetables through the day have a lower risk of heart disease and early death because of their higher vitamin c levels. This study followed more than 100,000 people to prove how essential it really is.
Vitamin E – Vitamin E has 8 parts to it (four tocopherols and four tocotrienols).
Vitamin E can be obtained through a well balanced diet. It is fat-soluble so it will store in your body as it needs it.
Vitamin E is used for protection against toxins such as air pollution, premenstrual syndrome, eye disorders such as cataracts, neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.