However, there are steps that people can take every day to lower their risk of developing cancer. Fruits and vegetables, for example, that are high in antioxidants and vitamins may help to prevent the growth of cancer in most individuals. For this reason, doctors recommend a diet high in both fruits and vegetables and low in processed sugars. It is important that both elements be present because they work to promote health in different ways. Free radicals are destroyed by antioxidants and vitamins work to promote a healthy immune system. Fruits and vegetables that are dark in color are likely to contain the highest levels of these essential nutrients, so it is important to keep this in mind when shopping for produce.

The Value Of Supplements

Many people today do not have healthy diets, consuming fast food and junk food instead of lean meats, grains and vegetables. For those that have a difficult time working adequate amounts of antioxidants and vitamins from food into their diets, there are many supplements available on the market today without the need for a prescription. Many supplements offer over 100% of the daily value of essential nutrients. However, scientists and doctors are ambivalent about their value, indicating that they are not an easy solution to the problem. It seems that the important antioxidant and vitamin properties are less readily absorbed by the body when taken in pill form than they are when ingested via fruits and vegetables.

The natural food digestion process more efficiently accesses the nutrients when they are part of the food the person consumes. Therefore, most health professionals recommend getting most of your antioxidants and vitamins directly from food. If there is a deficiency that cannot be remedied this way, then supplements may be worth considering, but they shouldn’t be used as a replacement for proper nutrition. For this very reason, doctors warn against restricting calorie intake too much or, conversely, easting too much fast food because both limit the amount of antioxidants and vitamins that your body is getting.

Research increasingly points to antioxidant vegetables to prevent a range of degenerative diseases and repair cell damage. It is inevitable that our bodies undergo considerable cell damage due to the excessive amounts of pollution we are exposed to in our everyday life. So to undo this damage it is important to consume an adequate amount of antioxidant vegetables.

Vegetables That Will Do You Good

New research suggests that not all foods have equal amounts of antioxidants. Some antioxidant vegetables have a higher content of antioxidants than others. Cooking vegetables can also influence the amount of antioxidants found in them. Cooking tomatoes actually increases the amount of antioxidants. Other vegetables such as potatoes however decrease in antioxidants after cooking.

The rule of thumb however is that the redder the fruit is the richer it is in antioxidants. Fruits that are bright coloured usually have high antioxidant properties. So include carrots, apples, oranges and tomatoes on your list of antioxidant rich vegetables.

There are other antioxidant rich vegetables that do not follow this rule. Spinach, artichoke hearts, eggplants, and russet potatoes are also vegetables that are rich in antioxidants. Beans are also a surprisingly rich source of antioxidants. All sorts of beans such as red, pinto, kidney, and black beans pack a powerful antioxidant punch.

Cook The Right Way

As mentioned earlier cooking greatly influences the amount of antioxidants found in vegetables. Besides tomatoes, there are also other vegetables that increase in antioxidants after cooking. Yellow onions, red cabbage and broccoli all increase in antioxidants after cooking. It appears that baking and steaming are the best ways to go about cooking these vegetables. And just as with any other vegetables, overcooking antioxidant rich vegetables will destroy any benefits you may get from the vegetables.

Mix It Up

There are of course other vegetables and even fruits that are rich in antioxidants, blueberries for example are full of antioxidants. The idea is to include as many of these fruits and vegetables in your diet and if possible to combine the vegetables in a meal. It is ideal to have as many antioxidant rich vegetables as possible every time you sit down to eat. This is because the body does not absorb all antioxidants as well as it might others. So the idea behind mixing up what you eat is that you will be able to get the maximum amount of antioxidants.

Free Radicals, Cancer And The Role Of Antioxidants

Free radicals are what our body creates in reaction to pollutants, radiation, drugs, artificial foods and so on. These free radicals, left by themselves, can create havoc in the as they can interfere with the functioning of each and every internal organ in the body. The role of the antioxidants is specifically to identify and de-activate these free radicals so that the body suffers the least damage.

Cancer, as you know, results from mutation of cells in the body – many believe that it could be triggered and sustained by free radicals. As soon as the body is given sufficient antioxidants, the cancer (in the first two stages) is reversed. The cancer and antioxidant correlation is clear from this. If you want to prevent cancer, you would definitely want to have an antioxidant rich diet. The power of cancer and antioxidant is inversely proportionate to one another.

Some of the cancers that are known to be directly prevented (and reversed) by antioxidants are, prostrate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterus cancer. Nature has provided an in-built cure for the body in this regard. Of course, you could boost your own immune system by consuming regularly fruits and vegetables which are known to be rich in antioxidants. The more antioxidants in the body the less chances of cancer to attack. The cancer and antioxidant theory has been accepted and proved through many research studies.

Some of the fruits that are rich in antioxidants are, blueberries, cherries, grapes and oranges; vegetables are – cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, and peas. This is by no means an exclusive list – just an indication of the most common sources of antioxidants available in our day-to-day lives. Keeping in mind the connection between cancer and antioxidants, it is good to include in our daily diets as many such fruits and vegetables as possible.

Besides, the fact that antioxidants fight terminal diseases such as cancer, they are famous for fighting against another high concern issue of the human body, i.e. aging. Antioxidants have been found excellent tools for reversing aging.

These free radical particles are thought to be responsible for many kinds of cancer in both children and adults. Although there may also be a genetic component, free radicals promote the growth of cancer cells. Therefore, it follows that eliminating them from your diet and counteracting what remains by maintaining a diet rich in foods with antioxidants are positive steps toward the prevention of cancer. Many scientific studies have confirmed the positive effect of a healthy diet in the fight against cancer and other diseases.

What If I Don’t Like Fruits Or Vegetables?

Not everyone has a diet quite as healthy as it should be. Many people don’t like fruits and vegetables and, as a result, may miss out on the valuable antioxidants in foods such as these. Distaste for these foods may start in childhood but follow them through adolescence and into their adult years. Unlike in childhood, however, adults are not forced to eat their vegetables and are free to choose for themselves. They opt for menu choices that lack essential nutrients instead. However, antioxidants in food like dark chocolate, which is rich in flavonoids as well, may serve to partially bridge the nutritional gap.

Dark chocolate has been shown to have a positive effect on the emotional as well as physical health of an individual when eaten in moderation. If chocolate is not your thing, and you can’t seem to get your daily dose of antioxidants in food, green tea offers a possible alternative. In addition, green tea also contains EGCG, which may aid in weight loss to a small degree. Since overweight individuals are more prone to a host of medical ailments, anything that can help progress toward a healthy weight is beneficial. An overall healthy individual stands a better chance against of surviving even if they do get cancer, because they will be strong enough to withstand treatment.

You are actually right when you, many times, defended yourself after a few glasses of wine with the argument that wine is good for your health. Researches show that antioxidants and wine are clearly linked. Grapes, just as bright skins fruits and vegetables and such as apples and tomatoes that are proven to be rich in antioxidants, also have a high content of antioxidants. In this case, red wine contains more antioxidants when compared to white wine. Taken in moderate amounts, wine and its high antioxidants content can be highly beneficial to our health.

The French Paradox

The French Paradox is a term used to describe the fact that although the French consume large amounts of fat in their daily lives, they have a relatively low rate of heart disease. The average French person consumes roughly 108 grams of fat from animal sources on a daily basis as compared to 72 grams consumed by the average American.

And yet there is a vast disparity between the rates of heart disease between the two countries. About 230 men out of 100,000 die of coronary heart disease while the number is only 83 out of 100,000 in France. The lower heart disease rates are linked to the fact that the French consume red wine on a daily basis with most meals. This is thought to have a positive effect in reducing the risk of heart disease. Resveratol is an antioxidant and it is this antioxidant and wine that are behind the French Paradox.

Why Red Wine?

It is not just red wine that that is thought to be beneficial in moderation. There are other alcohol beverages that are thought to be beneficial to health but the jury is divided over which alcoholic beverages are most effective at providing antioxidants and in what proportion. However the link between wine and antioxidants has been established.

Red wine holds the place as the healthiest alcoholic beverage because of its fermentation process. Red wine is fermented with the grape skins while white wine is not. This is how red wine gets its colour. Because the grape skins are left in the wine during the fermentation, the wine and antioxidants are absorbed.

As all the research stresses however, moderation is the key here. An alcoholic cannot claim to be reaping the benefits of consuming alcohol as alcohol in large quantities brings other health complications. A glass a day of red wine however is ideal in a fight against heart disease, strokes and cancer along with a diet already rich in antioxidants. Red wine and antioxidants are an ideal way to add to a healthy diet.

Ergothioneine Aids In Removing Free Radicals

Ergothioneine is something that aids the human body in removing free radicals that causes much damage to the cells and tissues in the human body. Since white button mushrooms have twelve times more antioxidant ergothioneine than say, a wheat germ which is a very good source of the nutrient, they can be useful antioxidants for antiaging. In addition, consuming mushroom varieties complimented by vegetables would provide different antioxidants for antiaging as well as prevents cancer, cellular harm and also other diseases.

There are many antioxidants for antiaging products available and one such product is Lifespan Extension Complex that contains 120 capsules of Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic Acid as well as Bioperine. This antioxidant for antiaging product gives the user super energy, vitality as well as contains an antioxidant antiaging formula and using it one may reduce brown spots which are a universal sign of aging and it also reduces deterioration of brain cells which is also associated with aging. In addition, it also reverses neuroendoctrine aging as well as restores mitochondrial activity and cardiolipin to more youthful levels and also extends the life span of the user.

Antioxidants for antiaging were one of the earliest classes of substances that contained vitamin E and BHT and it was thought that drugs that protected against radiation would also be helpful in combating age and antioxidants are a huge class of such substances. In this regard, Vitamin E, BHT and ethoxyquin are found to be antioxidants for antiaging though many would argue that vitamin E has the least effect on aging, though it is found to be quite safe to use. Ethoxyquin is another antioxidant for antiaging but it has severe toxicity problems. BHT is perhaps the best antioxidant for antiaging and has been found to be very effective and has good levels of toxicity.

Looking for the most powerful antioxidant is likened to finding a cure for many diseases, there are a lot of thoughts out there, but none has been conclusively identified. The importance of antioxidants is not in dispute, but determining which one is the most powerful antioxidant remains open to debate.

Researchers at Ohio State University, Dr. Jiyan Ma, a research assistant professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry along with David Cornwell, professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry emeritus, took on the task of determining how well the often-touted vitamin E works as an antioxidant. What they discovered, was that vitamin E, seen as the most powerful antioxidant, actually can work both ways.  

They started with the knowledge that there are two forms of vitamin E, also referred to as tocopherol. There is alpha vitamin E, which comes from olive oil almonds and sunflower seed and gamma vitamin E, found in corn and soy beans. They found the different types had different reactions in the body and that gamma tocopherol actually killed cells instead of protecting them.

The alpha tocopherol offered the benefits sought in the most powerful antioxidant, and did not kill the cells. Their research was conducted using animal cells from mice and monkeys and determined it made no difference in the type of cells used, concluding that the most powerful antioxidant in the form of gamma tocopherol was dangerous to all types of different cells.

Others Document Finding Best Antioxidant

Dr. Paul Ling Tai, at the Oakwood Medical Hospital in Detroit, Michigan has found that by compounding certain natural known antioxidants, he has formed the most powerful antioxidant for certain aspects of health. For example, N-acetyl cysteine he considers the most powerful antioxidant working against smoker’s cough and lung fibrosis. Others he refers to as the most powerful antioxidant helps with arthritis, preventing cancers, including prostate cancers.

What appears to be common thread of all the research to find the most powerful antioxidant is that it does not include just one particular antioxidant. Rather it infers that the most powerful antioxidant is the combinations found in fruits and vegetables extracted by the body when eaten in sufficient portions. Recommendations had been to receive antioxidant benefits a minimum of five servings a day should be consumed, but new research indicates that benefits will increase with nine servings a day, without added supplemental sources.

Enzymes May Also Be Antioxidants

There are several enzymes that are antioxidants and these include gluthathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase. Some scientists from Russia have created a custom antioxidant that is able to enter the mitochondria and thus prevent damage to DNA. There are also several foods high in antioxidants and these include small red beans, plums, wild blueberries, black beans, red kidney beans, Russet potato that has been cooked, Pinto beans, and many others including red delicious apples, granny Smith apples and raspberries and also strawberries. To supply foods high in antioxidants elements there are many nurtraceutical as well as health food companies producing some products that are rich in antioxidants and one such company is Nutraceutical Corporation. Other companies like Natrol and Canprev, Vemma and Natural Health are also making some supplements that include antioxidants.

Recently, the US Department of Agriculture rated some foods that contained antioxidant capacity in excess of 2,000 to be qualified to be termed as being a food with high in antioxidants and these included foods such as cherries, dried plums, artichokes, walnuts, hazelnuts, cinnamon as well as cloves and oreganos. Among vegetables, the top food high in antioxidants was artichokes, red cabbage as well as russet potatoes and it also included nuts like pecans, walnuts and also hazelnuts. They also make a list of food high in antioxidants were spices such as oregano, cinnamon and cloves. Foods high in antioxidants are known as ORAC and will give protection to the cells from any oxidative damages. ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is the method of analysing, by using a test tube to measure total antioxidant power of food as well as other chemical substances. Foods with high in antioxidants elements such as spinach and blueberries would help in slowing down the process of aging of both the body and the brain.

It’s Not Just a Hype Or Propaganda

Most of the information can be found on foods rich in antioxidants is not hype or just propaganda and there are enough scientific research results to confirm this. Eat more variety of fruits and vegetables every day would be a good advice and for anyone who may be averse to vegetables, there are many supplements can be use but you should choose from a reputable source and choose products that are a produce of plants that have plenty of antioxidants so you are able to get a broad range of antioxidant molecules.

Colourful fruits and vegetables are good sources for foods rich in antioxidants and these include leafy greens such as kale and spinach as well as other green vegetables, included here are broccoli and Brussels sprouts and red and yellow vegetables such as tomatoes, red bell peppers, carrots and squash as well as beet roots. Fruits with plenty of colour like pink grapefruit, berries, plums, oranges, grapes, peaches and apricots are also all good sources for foods rich in antioxidants. Two other antioxidants rich foods that are popular among us are blueberries as well as chocolate and contain antioxidants amount that are much greater than found in other food items. However, blueberries and chocolates are quite high in oxalic acid that helps to bind to other valuable nutrients but makes them unavailable during digestion and oxalic acid is also irritating to the lining of the intestines and is also toxic in case too much of blueberries or chocolates are consumed.

[tags]health, food, antioxidant, cancer, life, health food[/tags]

Free Radical Antioxidants And Prevention Of Disease

Free radical antioxidants are helpful in preventing heart diseases and the vitamin E that they contain protects against any kind of cardiovascular disease as they defend against LDL oxidation as well as clogging of the artery and plaque formation. Free radical antioxidants also have vitamin C which keeps and minimizes the rate of cancer to low levels, more so in the case of mouth cancer and cancer of the larynx and esophagus. Also, free radical antioxidants can help in protecting the body from damage caused by free radicals and the best way to ensure enough of these free radical antioxidants is to keep a balanced diet that may consist of five to eight servings of fruits and vegetables, each day.

Every day, the human body is subjected to attack by free radicals that may cause a person to age prematurely, have wrinkled skin along with discoloration and there may also be hardening of the arteries and stiffening of the joints and many other related illnesses. To protect oneself against such diseases one needs to use free radical antioxidants to restore as well as even rejuvenate the health. Free radical antioxidants help to improve circulation, strengthens arteries and veins, fights inflammation in arthritis, aids in healing sports injuries, reduces eczema and a whole lot of other positives can be derived from its use. Free radical antioxidants may help in reversing the devastating effects of damage caused by free radicals and in this regard antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and other natural plants contain hundreds of protective nutrients that may help protect the body from free radicals that destroy the cells and tissues in the body.

[tags]cancer, health, antioxidant, health food, nutrition[/tags]