About anti-oxidants

Oxidative agents are substances with a tendency to attract to themselves electrons from other substances. By doing so, they rip apart chemical bonds in these other substances, since chemical bonds consist of electrons shared between two atoms. The oxidative agent will also in this process bind itself to the substance attacked.

Free radicals are fragments of molecules that lack a bond in one of the atoms. Free radicals will quickly attach themselves to other molecules and by so doing often also rip the target molecules apart. Free radicals are also often called oxidative agents, but these reactions are not necessarily ozidation of the target molecules. Free radicals are formed in the normal processes in the body, by ultraviolet light radiation, by radioactive radiation, or by reactions induces by toxins or pollutant comming in from the outside.

Oxidative reactions are normal constituents of the life process. But in the body, there also occur oxidative reactions not wanted, and that destroy molechules in the body. The rections are partly effected by normal molecules that unfortunately also give some side-effects. However, most unwanted oxidations are caused by pollutants or toxins having entered the body or by free radicals produced by the effect of toxins, radioactivity or ultraviolet light.

Such oxydation of body structures are a part of the cause of the aging process and of serious diseases like cancer, atherosclerosis and heart infarctation.

Anti-oxidants are substances that prevent oxydation of important structures in the body. Often they do so by letting the oxydative agents bind to themselves. Thereby a harmless molechule is formed. They may also work by shielding body structures from the oxydative agents or by gripping the oxydative agent molechules and lead it out of the body.

Anti-oxydants often work together. One substance may bind to the oxydative agent in the first place. Another may restore the first anti-oxydant to its originally form and lead the rests of the oxydative agent out of the body. Therefore the body need a supply of several anti-oxidants simultanously. Supplying the body with only one anti-oxidant in great amounts can cause harmfull effects, because the eliminiation process is not fullfilled toltally.

Anti-oxydants are of many chemical types. Many vitamins and vitamine-like compounds are also anti-oxidants, as for example vitamine E, C, beta-carotene, glutathione, dimetylglycine (DMG), N-acetylcysteine and co-enzyme Q10. Also many minerals have such properties, as zink (Zn), Copper (Cu), Manganium (Mn), Magnesium (Mg) and molybdenium (Mo).

Other substances are only anti-oxydants without having other roles in the body. Potent anti-oxydants of this kind are found in many plants, fruits and vegetables. Flavonids, a group of substances giving plants their colour, are potent anti-oxydants. Types of flavonides are proanthocyanidins (PCO) in grape seed and in the maritine (Landes) pine bark, polyphenols in green tea, and the citrus bioflavonoids rutin, quercitrin and hesperidin.

As a general rule, fruits or plant material that have a strong colour or a strong taste also are rich in anti-oxydants. Examples are pepper fruits, ginkgo biloba, blueberries and especially raspberries, green tea and coffee.

Having a varyable diet with many types of vegetables, fruits, spices, teas and also coffee will give you a good supply of anti-oxydants. Supplements in the form of pills and capsules can also aid, but you should use a combination of supplements or supplements that contain several anti-oxydants in combination.