Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Health Benefits Of Antioxidants

By Richard Davis


A large number of medical experts are recommending vegetables and fruits to be included in a daily diet. There are lots of great reasons to the suggestion; however one of the reasons would be the antioxidants that a lot of fruit and veggies supply. However just what are antioxidants? Why are they so important?

Process of oxidation happens all around us from piece of potato turning brownish color to rust in a machine. It is a normal process that also exists in a body. Our body system normally copes with oxidation well, but occasionally it leads to cell damage. The damaged cells are referred to as free radicals, molecules with unpaired electron. Since it is unpaired, it will try to steal an electron from other molecules. Whenever this reaction becomes intense, it can easily trigger a lot of illnesses like cancer, heart problems and arthritis. Cigarette smoke, pollution and radiation add up to the development of free radicals as well. Antioxidants are compounds that counteract free radicals.

By offering the missing electron to free radicals, antioxidants prevent cell damage. It is vital to have healthy foods that include antioxidants on a daily basis to be in a healthy condition. Most fruit and veggies are the ideal source of antioxidants thanks to vitamins C and E. Vitamins are acknowledged to be one of the best antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables like strawberry, kiwi, papaya, spinach, bell pepper, and broccoli are a great supply of vitamin C and E. However these vitamins are not the only source of antioxidants and in reality they are certainly not the utmost source.

Increasingly more nutritionists agree Epigallocatechin or also called EGCG could be a better source of antioxidants compared to vitamins E and C. A large number of scientists agree that EGCG is 100 times more beneficial than vitamin C and 25 times more efficient than vitamin E in avoiding free radicals. EGCG is an ingredient contained in green tea. Many of the acknowledged tea benefits include preventions against cancer, fat gain, LDL cholesterol, depressive disorders and heart problems.

There have been a number of lab tests with regards to the effects of green tea on cancer cells. The results show the serving of 300mg of EGCG every day to be the best amount. One cup of tea has close to 100mg of EGCG. Far more case studies are on the way, but as for now 3 cups on a daily basis looks like a good amount.

Currently there are a variety of ways to consume green tea. Standard way is to brew and to drink the tea. This really is good especially if taken while eating a meal. One more preferred method is to blend green tea extract powder with drinking water. Blending lemon juice with EGCG is actually recognized to boost the health benefits. More simple way is to have green tea tablets. This is wonderful for people disliking the taste.




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