Eating Antioxidants For Greater Health

An antioxidant is a type of molecule that prevents the oxidation of other molecules by readily becoming oxidized themselves. In other words, antioxidants stop oxygen from reacting with a chemical by reacting with the oxygen first. Antioxidants are used in preserving foods like fruits and oils. They are also used in preserving fuels, lubricants, rubber, plastics, adhesives and many other things. They are even added to gasoline to prevent it from leaving engine fouling residues when burned. Finally, one of the most important uses of antioxidants is the way they are used in living organisms.

Your body uses antioxidants like vitamin C and E to protect parts of your cells from being damaged by over-oxidation. Antioxidants help your body regulate and control how oxygen is used in your body. If you didn't have any antioxidants in your body, your cells would break down from rapid oxidation. However, if you had too many antioxidants, they would interfere with the reactions that are necessary for cellular respiration and your cells would become starved for energy. It is important that your body has a supply of antioxidants to use, but some clinical trials suggest that having excessive amounts of antioxidants in your body can be harmful. Thus, the safe way to increase the amount of antioxidants in your body is by consuming them in natural foods.

Fruits and vegetables are a great source of antioxidants. Fruits like blueberries and pomegranates are particularly excellent and contain high amounts of various antioxidants. There are few fruits that surpass the blueberry in its antioxidant capability.

If you frequently take part in strenuous physical activities, such as working out, running, or just being highly active your oxygen intake can increase by a factor of nearly ten. If you are eating healthy, and consuming the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables you are providing your body with the needed antioxidants.

One super powerful, healthy antioxidant fruit that should be considered is the blueberry. It is a relatively cheap fruit that can be found in many grocery stores. Scientific studies have shown that this super fruit has the highest antioxidant properties when compared to many different fruits!

Sarah Stevenson is a food enthusiast with a passion for nutrition and good recipes. She loves eating healthy and recommends this blueberry recipes website as a source for antioxidants. If you want sweeter, cooking recipes she recommends peach recipes.

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