Antioxidants: The peacemakers that protects your cell and body

Written by Dr. Swati Tiwari, Ph.D. in Food Science and Nutrition

Antioxidants are the molecules which neutralizes free radicals in your body. Free radicals? They are basically the mischievous and most desperate thieves who have a missing electron which they try to steal from anything -your cells, your DNA, and even mess with your proteins. What do they leave behind? Oxidative stress, a scientific term for early aging, inflammation, and that puts you in lot of bodily chaos.

Now, for the rescue, Antioxidants come in! These peacemakers don’t want any chemical drama in your system. They generously donate an electron to the free radicals, calming them down and stopping the cellular damage.

Aren’t they amazing?

The triggers of oxidative stress are:

• Pollution (industrial chemicals, toxins, air pollution, smog (smoke + fog))
• UV rays, Radiations and Sun exposure (Between 12 to 5 PM)
• Smoking: It overloads the free radicals
• Stress (Psychological stress, anxiety, depression)
• Certain chemicals such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide
• Hormonal imbalances: Trigger oxidative stress and vice versa
• Bad Diet (excessive alcohol consumption and deep-fried snacks)
• Excessive physical activity without recovery

Antioxidants are the kind mediators who step in to control the situation, calmly handing out electrons to the desperate free radicals. Antioxidants give the free radicals exactly what they want to stop the destruction in your body. Basically, they keep your body from corroding on the inside.

Antioxidants:

• Slows down the signs of aging (Anti-aging squad)
• Protects your heart
• Boosts your brain
• Fights inflammation
• Reduces the risk of cancer and chronic illness (heart disease, diabetes, cancer)
• Slows down cognitive decline
• Also support your immune system

The best part? You don’t need a pharmacy they are right there in front of your eyes. Yes, your grocery list!

• Vitamin C rich foods (Citrus fruits like lemon, orange, grapefruit and Berries like blueberries, strawberries, Raspberry or Shahtoot, gooseberry or Amla)
• Leafy green vegetables (spinach and kale)
• Nuts & seeds (especially selenium-rich Brazil nuts, Walnuts, Almonds that are high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E)
• Green tea
• Dark chocolate (having at least 80% cocoa are rich in flavonoids, but moderation is key!)
• Spices (turmeric, clove, cinnamon)

• Make sure to eat the rainbow: Fill your plate with as many as different colors of fruits and vegetables because different colors mean different antioxidants.
• Just snack smart: Munch on handful of nuts, a fruit, or a bowl of berries instead of potato chips or processed snacks.
• Drink herbal teas: Make it a daily ritual.
• Don’t forget the spices: Turmeric (both fresh and powdered), ginger and cinnamon are packed with antioxidants.

Your body gets tuned well when nutrients comes from whole food sources. While some of the people think that popping the supplements will deliver the recommended amount of antioxidants, that is not true.

Sometimes, there could be problem of over-supplementation or over-dosing also which may disrupt the natural cellular process and could be harmful. Additionally, over-supplementation may prevent the normal cell death, which is important to cleanse out the damaged cells.

Also, there is lot of hype and marketing of “miraculous” antioxidants you see in various advertisements claiming to “turn back time” and reverse ageing which is a hoax and many of these lack important science based studies (clinical and sub clinical trials). Hence, instead of relying on supplements, healthy and balance diet is the best. No “miraculous” pill is needed (unless advised by doctor!).

Wrapping Up:

Extend your body the support it deserves and feed it antioxidant-rich foods to keep the free radicals in check and let the natural peacekeepers perform their magic to avoid the biologicals disaster.