What are Antioxidants?
and How to Get Them

Find the best, healthiest ways to include antioxidants in your lifestyle.  What are antioxidants and what are the most common sources to add to your daily health regime? 

So, what exactly are antioxidants?

Antioxidants can be found in the food we eat. They are nutrients that have the potential to help slow oxidative damage to our bodies. 

As the cells in our bodies use up oxygen, they produce natural by-products. These by-products can cause a great deal of harm and damage to our bodies.  Antioxidants seek out and destroy these harmful by-products. In doing this, they can help repair and prevent damage that has been done to our bodies by these toxic products.

What are the most common antioxidants?

• Carotenoids and Vitamin A. These antioxidants are found in a wide range of foods that we eat.  Some of the fruits and vegetables that contain significant amounts of Vitamin A and Carotenoids include squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, and peaches. Most fruits and vegetables that are very brightly colored contain these antioxidants.

• Vitamin C is constantly being promoted for a variety of health reasons.  It is one of the most powerful antioxidants. You can find large amounts of Vitamin C in many citrus fruits such as limes, oranges, kiwi, etc.  It is also found in tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, and strawberries.  These are just a few of the fruits and vegetables that provide a good dose of Vitamin C.

• Vitamin E is another one of the most common antioxidants.  It can be found in whole grains, seeds, nuts, vegetable oil, green leafy vegetables, and liver oil.

• The fourth most common antioxidant is Selenium.  This is not quite as well known as the first three.  However, it is becoming more well-known as studies show an increasing number of major health benefits.  Selenium can be found in a variety of foods.  Some of these include shellfish, red meat, fish, eggs, grains, chicken, and garlic.

• The Acai Berry is perhaps the most popular and potent antioxidant on the market today.  Deemed a ‘super food’, it’s all the rage with it’s numerous qualities: Energy booster, promotes weight loss, fights heart disease, boosts immune system, improves digestion.

Personally, I include 1,000 mg of acai berry per day, with my other health supplements. 

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