SUB CATEGORY

Antioxidants combat or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive particles that are produced in the body during normal metabolic functions, such as converting food to energy or detoxification. Yet, they also have the potential to damage healthy tissues, contributing to accelerated aging and disease development.

The body also produces some antioxidants, known as endogenous antioxidants. Antioxidants that come from outside the body are called exogenous. Factors that increase the production of free radicals in the body can be internal, such as inflammation or external, for example, pollution, UV exposure, and cigarette smoke.

Examples of antioxidants that come from outside the body include:

  • Vitamin A
  • vitamin C
  • vitamin E
  • Beta-carotene
  • lycopene
  • lutein
  • Selenium
  • manganese
  • zeaxanthin

Flavonoids, flavones, catechins, polyphenols, and phytoestrogens are all types of antioxidants and phytonutrients, and they are all found in plant-based foods. Each antioxidant serves a different function and is not interchangeable with another. This is why it is important to have a varied diet.

Cooking particular foods can either increase or decrease antioxidant levels. Lycopene is the antioxidant that gives tomatoes their rich red color. When tomatoes are heat-treated, the lycopene becomes more bio-available (easier for our bodies to process and use).