Very often when I recommend a product / ingredient / dish to my friends, saying “it contains many antioxidants! eat it necessarily”, they correspond to the neuter” ..yeah, i see. Or they ask “but what is it?”. Probably some of you know it well, but I invite you to read it anyway. I will discuss this a bit in terms of physical activity.
They are atoms or molecules with an unpaired electron that are formed in the human body all the time due to normal metabolism and energy production. While contacting with another good molecule can transform it into another free radical, taking its electron away. The number of these thieves in our body is rapidly increasing through contact with cigarette smoke, polluted environment, exhaust fumes, but also through STRES.
What are the further consequences of a large number of free radicals in our body? unfortunately, the worst – heart disease, CANCER, faster aging of the body. they create a great chaos in our body – they damage the cell membrane and genetic material, destroy enzymes and oxidize LDL – which is that “bad” cholesterol, leading to the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques in the blood. Generally they work like a chain reaction, one after another they oxidize the cells around each other.
Unfortunately, we also supply free radicals through food – products with a long usefulness date, fats, ie corn oil, sunflower oil, highly processed foods (fast-food, sweets stuffed with trans fats, even regular bars).
And a bad news for those who are FIT. Free radicals are also formed through physical exercise. Especially during strength exercises. There is then damage in the cell membrane, microdamage of the muscle fibers. As a result, the number of free radicals increases. Therefore, the more we need to know what they are …
antioxidants (in other words – antioxidants, antioxidants)
Enzymes and nutrients in the blood that “disarm” free radicals and neutrailize them. They finds this thief of electrons, and then they just give him the missing electron. Thanks to that they interrupt the chain of free radicals that are formed, that is, they save our body from the anarchy that is going on!
Where to get them? preferably … from food! (Of course, you can use supplements, but it is worth reaching for them when you can not provide enough food – for example, training very often and very intensively – we talk about training twice a day for a few hours).
are substances with antioxidant properties found in plant products. Their supplementation is not possible. That’s why it’s so important to eat natural products. You should consume 5 portions of vegetables and fruits per day (preferably raw!), nuts and seeds. You can also stock yourself up with herbs. Herbal preparations produced in the standard of medicines give a guarantee of quality and therapeutic action. You can read more here about .
Good sources of antioxidants:
VITAMINES: C (most fruits and vegetables, especially black currants, chokeberry – generally forest fruits, green peppers); E (sunflower, sesame, almonds, peanuts, avocado, egg yolk)
MINERALS: selenium (whole grain cereals, vegetables), copper (nuts, liver), manganese (cereals, nuts), zinc (bread, cereals, nuts, seeds, eggs)
CAROTENOIDS: red fruits and vegetables, spinach, mango, sweet potatoes, dried apricots
FLAVONOIDS: fruits, vegetables, coffee, cocoa (bitter chocolate), garlic, onion
Can you overdo it?
No serious side effects have been found when it comes to consuming even supplemented antioxidants. Only carotenoids make our skin gaining orange color. After weaving them down, it quickly returns to form. Be careful with selenium, zinc and copper – this is only about supplementation – because the boundary between the right dose and the one that causes side effects (nausea, headaches and other) is small.
Summarizing, if you want to provide your body with an army fighting for your health “while you are asleep”, eat unprocessed products, subjected to as little heat treatment as possible! and get away from milk chocolate for bitter ..