How Do Antioxidants Work To Improve Health?

By Peter Martin


A lot of health specialists are promoting vegetables and fruits as part of a daily diet. There are many good reasons to the suggestion; however one of the reasons is antioxidants that many veggies and fruits offer. Exactly what are antioxidants? Why are they extremely important?

Oxidation process happens in every single place from piece of fruit turning brownish color to rust on a metal pipe. It is a natural process that also occurs in a human body. Our body system controls oxidation well, but sometimes it causes cell damage. The damaged cells are known as free radicals. Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electron. Because it is unpaired, it will try to steal an electron from other molecules. Once this effect gets extreme, it may cause various health problems such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. Pollution, radiation and cigarette smoke add up to the development of free radicals as well. Antioxidants are substances that counteract free radicals.

By supplying an electron to free radicals, antioxidants protect against cell damage. It is vital to have foods that provide antioxidants regularly to stay in a healthy condition. Many vegetables and fruits are a great supply of antioxidants thanks to vitamins C and E. These vitamins are acknowledged to be among the best antioxidants. Veggies and fruits such as strawberry, kiwi, papaya, spinach, bell pepper, and broccoli are a wonderful supply of vitamin E and C. However these vitamins are not the only source of antioxidants and in reality 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 examinations concerning the impacts of green tea on cancer cells. The results reveal the dose of 300mg of EGCG a day to be the best amount. One cup provides around 100mg of EGCG. Far more studies are on the way, yet for right now 3 cups each day appears to be an ideal 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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