Antioxidants – Your Defense Against Free Radicals
Antioxidants are widely used as ingredients in dietary supplements and have been investigated for the prevention of diseases such as altitude sickness, aging, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Antioxidants are nutrients, vitamins and minerals as well as enzyme proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions. Animal protein does not contain antioxidants, but they are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in other foods including nuts, soy and grains. They boost the immunity system by playing important roles in cellular metabolism, signal transduction, transcription and gene activation. Antioxidants neutralize the effects of chronic inflammation, which is associated with a wide variety of health problems, and have anti-aging effects, because they are scavengers of free radicals and other reactive oxygen species which are linked to human diseases. Antioxidants are our first line of defense against free radical damage, and are critical for maintaining optimum cellular and systemic health and wellbeing.
