Antioxidants vs. Free Radicals.key

"This is significant because free radicals can destroy cell membranes and damage DNA, and may be a root cause of certain types of cancer, heart disease, and even the aging process itself." The findings of this study on antioxidant red grapes may also help explain the scientific logic behind the French paradox - why the French have less risk of heart disease even when they eat the richest types of food. 

Free radicals are still necessary for life, but in order to prevent yourself from developing these diseases, you need to take action in keeping free radicals at a minimum. Fortunately for us, the body has a number of mechanisms to minimize free radical induced damage and to repair the damage which does occur. 

) Fruits and vegetables Fat-free milk and low-fat dairy products Lean meat, fish, and poultry Incidentally, if you pattern your diet after this basic food group, you not only ingest a high level of natural antioxidant vitamins, but you also keep fat buildup in your body. Eating a variety of foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol will provide a rich natural source of antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and fiber. 

Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances which are produced whenever our body undergoes the process of oxidation, e.g. breathing. When free radicals are released, they immediately latch unto other molecules, stealing their electrons and in so doing, turning them into unstable molecules like themselves. 

Super Antioxidant Have you ever felt like wishing you had more energy? That you could get rid of those nagging aches and pains? Have you ever wished to improve your health overall and once and for all? If you answered yes, then look out, because that answer's now! Today's medical science has led to several wondrous discoveries about our health and the food we eat. 

With the use of a much more precise method than the one used in 1999, the study found that the dietary antioxidants found in honey are equal to those in many fruits and vegetables in their ability to counter the degenerating activity of highly reactive molecules known as free radicals. "It's still too early to say definitely, but honey seems to have potential to serve as a dietary antioxidant," Engeseth said.