What are antioxidants, and what benefits can they have on your body?!
Question:
What are antioxidants, and what benefits can they have on your body?
I also want to know if increasing the intake of antioxidants can help flush out your system of drugs and other chemicals, or if that's a bunch of crap.
Answers:
Antioxidants prevent free radicals from potentially damaging millions of healthy, functioning cells by donating an electron to unstable free radicals. Free radicals are atoms with at least one unpaired electron. Excess free radicals produce harmful oxidation that can damage cell membranes, accelerate the aging process and lead to certain ailments.
Unfortunately, due to our poor nutritional foods, environmental toxins, and other factors like stress, our bodies are often fighting a losing battle against the effects and increase of free radicals.
Benefits
One of the most important benefit of antioxidants is that they bind to these free radicals and prevent them creating any damage. Another of the benefit of antioxidants is that they keep the cells healthy enabling the immune system to function more effectively. Many diseases are often prevented or recovery time is more likely improved. Antioxidants also help physical injuries to heal faster.
Unfortunately, the antioxidant needs of our bodies are likely to be higher than just consuming normal quantities of fruit and vegetables unless they are organic and grown in mineral rich soils. A high quality antioxidant supplement can make all the difference to your health when combined with a nutritious diet full of natural antioxidants.
To be a powerful antioxidant, you must have a high ORAC score. ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. This a a scientific way of saying "how well does a certian antioxidant help my body defend itself against free radical attacks?
The product with the highest ORAC score is MonaVie freeze-dried Acai. To my knowledge, nothing comes even close to this!
This product also is high in phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, complex carohydrates, dietary fiber and trace minerals.