POM Wonderful Presents: Antioxidants for the Anti-Dolphin

Herbal antioxidants are of course found in fresh produce, fruits, and vegetables. A large number of members of the berry family are excellent sources of herbal antioxidants. In fact, most herbal antioxidants you find sold in health food stores today are comprised mainly of berry extracts. Studies have shown that berries are rich in certain herbal antioxidants that help reduce atherosclerosis by acting on the agents that causes the clogging and the hardening of the arteries. 

They have also been implicated in certain cell signaling processes. The two most important oxygen-centered free radicals are superoxide and hydroxyl radical. They are derived from molecular oxygen under reducing conditions, such as when a person breathes. However, because of their high reactivity, free radicals often participate in unwanted side reactions resulting in cell damage. 

Antioxidant Vitamins Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for African-American men and women? The disease claims the lives of over 100,000 annually. Perhaps due to this alarming number, much of scientific researches conducted in the US today have recently been focused on how antioxidant vitamins may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Or those laugh lines around your mouth? Sure, these things are but part of the normal aging process. But what causes aging anyway? And is there anyway to retard it? In biological systems, the normal processes of oxidation are what lead to aging. Oxidation causes the production of substances called free radicals which are highly reactive. 

But whatever the case, it is still quite clear that antioxidant fruits are good for the health. The human body derives its energy from the utilization of nutrients and oxygen as fuel. But oxygen, for all its benefits and positive effects, may also carry with it some negative ripple effect. When processing oxygen in the body (a process called "oxidation), oxygen byproducts are produced. 

Recently, scientists have discovered the substance responsible for many of the health benefits we've been receiving from plants. Fruits and vegetables it seemed contain chemical substances that act on specific, harmful molecules inside our bodies to stop them from damaging our cells. Because these substances work on oxygen by-products called free radicals, they have since come to be known as natural antioxidants.