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ANTIOXIDANTS

Recent scientific discoveries stress the importance of the health benefits offered by foods enriched with vitamins, justifying their function in the “battle” against body oxidation caused by stress, certain diseases and aging. Today, not only foods afford the components that deliver nutritional benefits of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins and minerals. Other substances with antioxidant properties also have a healthy effect on our bodies.

Antioxidants comprise a group of vitamins, minerals and diverse substances present in vegetables and enzymes that block the harmful effect of free radicals in the body. Most antioxidants are found in vegetables, which accounts for the benefits of a regular diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole cereals.

Free radicals and oxidation

In the body there are cells that are constantly renewing themselves (skin, intestine cells) and others that do not (liver cells, nerve cell). As years go by, free radicals genetically alter the first kind of cells, thus increasing the risk of cancer and reducing the functionality of the cells that don’t renew themselves, a characteristic of aging. Habits like smoking, eating fat-rich foods and exposure to the sun, as well as environmental pollution, increase the production of free radicals.

The benefits of antioxidants

Over the past few years, scientists have researched the role played by antioxidants in heart disease, several types of cancer and diverse processes associated with aging, as well as in alterations of the nervous system. These studies focus mainly on vitamin C, vitamin E, betacarotenes, flavonoids, selenium and zinc.

The relationship between these antioxidants and cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases has been sufficiently proven. Modification of “bad cholesterol” (LDL) plays a fundamental role in the development and beginning of arteriosclerosis (abnormal thickening and hardening of internal walls of blood vessels due to a fat buildup that hampers blood flow). Antioxidants can block free radicals that modify bad cholesterol, thus decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, low levels of antioxidants can constitute a risk factor for certain types of cancer.

ANTIOXIDANTS SOURCES
VITAMINS	VITAMIN C	Citruses (orange, lemon), guava, kiwi, mango, pineapple, strawberries, peppers, tomatoes.
	VITAMIN E	Wheat germ, soy oil, cereals or whole cereals, olive oil, oleaginous seeds (nuts, almonds, pine seeds).
	BETA CAROTENE (PRO-VITAMIN A)	Green, red, orange or yellow fruits and vegetables: peach, orange, pineapple, cherries, carrots, beets, spinach.
MINERALS	SELENIUM	Meat, fish, sea food, cereals, eggs, fruits and vegetables.
	ZINC	Meat and entrails, fish, eggs and whole cereals.
	COPPER	Liver, fish, seafood, whole cereals and green vegetables.
VEGETABLES	FLAVONOIDS	Cabbage, green leafy vegetables, red and purple fruits, citruses.
	ISOFLAVINS	Soy
	ALPHA-LIPOIC	Tomato