This has been a popular subject over the past few years with entire books being written on the subject. Free radicals have been linked to premature ageing and on a more serious note, diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
Simply put, free radicals are atoms with an odd number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can react with important cellular components such as DNA or cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs.
Free radicals occur naturally in the body when we breathe, eat, drink or exercise for example, but are neutralised by antioxidants. The problem is that there are often too many free radicals (caused by smoking, pollution, radiation, ultraviolet light and certain drugs) and not enough antioxidants, poor lifestyle choices being largely responsible for the imbalance.
The obvious thing to do then is to increase our supply of antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions). We can therefore improve our supply by increasing the number of foods in our diet that contain antioxidants whilst making healthier lifestyle choices. The main antioxidants are vitamins E & C, Beta-carotene and selenium, but where can these be found?
Foods Rich in Antioxidants
Fruit:- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, raisins, prunes, oranges, red grapes, plums, cranberries
Vegetables:- spinach, kale, broccoli, red peppers, beetroot, aubergine, corn, onions, Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, carrots
Others:- walnuts, whole grain products, seeds, oils, egg yolk, seafood, offal, lean meat, tea, red beans
The bottom line: a healthy, varied diet will keep you disease free.