How Do Antioxidants Work To Improve Health?

By Peter Martin


A number of health specialists are advocating veggies and fruits to be included in a regular diet plan. There are a lot of beneficial reasons to the recommendation, but one of the reasons is definitely the antioxidants that almost all vegetables and fruits offer. But exactly what are antioxidants? What makes them extremely important?

Process of oxidation occurs in every single place from slice of pear turning brown to rust in a machine. This is a natural process that also exists in a human body. Our body handles oxidation well, but occasionally it results in cell damage. The damaged cells are known as free radicals. Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electron. Since it is unpaired, it will attempt to take an electron from other molecules. Anytime this activity gets intense, it can easily trigger quite a few health concerns like cancer, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. Cigarette smoke, pollution and radiation also lead to the growth of free radicals. Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals.

By supplying the missing electron to free radicals, antioxidants protect against cell damage. It is recommended to have foods and nutrients that come with antioxidants regularly to stay healthy. Lots of vegetables and fruits are a fantastic supply of antioxidants thanks to vitamins E and C. Vitamins are known to be among the best antioxidants. Fruits and veggies such as strawberry, kiwi, papaya, spinach, bell pepper, and broccoli are a good supply of vitamin C and E. But these vitamins are not the only source of antioxidants and in fact they are certainly not the best source.

A growing number of health professionals agree Epigallocatechin or also known as EGCG could be a more potent source of antioxidants compared to vitamins C and E. Lots of research workers agree that EGCG is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more efficient than vitamin E in eliminating free radicals. EGCG is a compound included in green tea. A number of the recognized green tea extract health benefits are preventions against cancer, fat gain, bad cholesterol, depression and heart problems.

There have been a lot of lab tests relating to the effects of green tea on cancer cells. The results indicate the dose of 300mg of EGCG each day to be the ideal amount. A cup of tea provides around 100mg of EGCG. More experiments are in the process, yet as for right now 3 cups per day seems to be a good amount.

Currently there are several ways to take green tea. Common way is to make and to drink the tea. This is good especially if consumed with a meal. Another preferred way is to mix green tea extract powder with lemon water. Combining citrus juice with EGCG has been identified to boost the positive effects. A practical way is to consume tea tablets. This is wonderful for people disliking the taste.




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