Why Do We Need Antioxidants And How Do They Protect Our Cells?There has been so much discussion on antioxidants. We have all heard it, but what is an antioxidant and how do they protect our cells? An antioxidant is something that prevents or slows down oxidization. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage to our cells. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and therefore protect and repair damage done by these free radicals. Cellular inflammation and major health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer etc are all contributed by oxidative damage. 
The Most Commonly Know Antioxidants are Vitamin A Bright-colored fruits and vegetables Vitamin C Citrus fruits like oranges and lime etc Vitamin E Nuts, seeds, whole grains Selenium Fish & shellfish, red meat, grains, eggs, chicken More Common Antioxidants Some common phytochemicals * Flavonoids / polyphenols soy,red wine, purple grapes or Concord grapes,pomegranate, cranberries, tea * Lycopene Tomato and tomato products,pink grapefruit, watermelon * Lutein Dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, kiwi, brussels sprout and spinach * Lignan Flax seed, oatmeal, barley, rye Antioxidant enzymes made by the body: * superoxide dismutase (SOD) * catalase * glutathione peroxidase * Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) * Glutathione The Master Antioxidant
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