Do You Need An Antioxidant Supplement?

Antioxidants are a main component in living a healthy existence and making a general improvement on your lifestyle although there are several different kinds of foodstuffs which contain antioxidants, taking a supplement is the perfect way to ensure you receive the right amount. There are many antioxidants in the form of supplements available in a natural form, which will not incur any harm to your body.

Whichever way you decide to take in more antioxidants, there are benefits to be had. Your cells will be protected from damage and this in turn will assist you to fend off sickness and infection.

On occasions when you have made a slow recovery from illness in the past, this is due to the fact that you have not had the right amount of vitamins and antioxidants present in your system. If you get the balance just right you will definitely notice the difference in the time you take to heal and mend following a period of ill health.

More often than not, antioxidant supplements come in herbal or natural forms which significantly help your body.

Controlling the clotting of your blood, bringing back your libido and averting diseases are just some of the ways you will benefit from taking antioxidant supplements. Nourishment and appropriate food intake is an important aspect of living, so you should constantly keep control of your health and eat as well as possible. There are also non synthetic alternatives on the market, which are great for health maintenance and produce no known side effects.

These are taken into your body with ease, unlike the synthetic varieties which are known for their difficulty in absorbing. The non synthetic forms give almost instant results, whereas some time may pass before you notice a difference taking the synthetic antioxidants. Taking vitamins, which contain antioxidants, will not allow you to become lackadaisical with your diet.

You will still need to eat food containing the minerals and vitamins required by your body - the supplements will be additional to these, or can be used as an alternative if you are not able to eat the foods which have these valuable nutrients. There are many reasons for you to eat food and take supplements containing antioxidants as part of your daily diet. Without these you will be more susceptible to diseases and other damaging effects.

Antioxidants are great for your system, which is why you need to ensure you receive the right quantity. This, along with correct eating habits will encourage a strong and healthy way of life.

For more valuable information and advice about health and nutrition please visit the authors website http://nutrition.hotexercise.com

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Natural Antioxidants: Clearing the Controversy

Clearing the controversy of natural antioxidants.

Contrary to what people believe, free radicals are not always harmful to your body, but also benefit it in some ways. Free radicals (which are unstable oxygen forms), when present in the desired quantities, help to fight infections in your body and also decrease the amounts of cancer cells in your body, It is only when the free radicals get out of control, start multiplying and are present in very high quantities in your body, that they start to harm it.

High levels of free radicals can lead to atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver and even cancer. Thus, it is imperative to control the presence of free radicals in the body, which is where antioxidants come in.

Antioxidants are nutrients that help to lower the amounts of free radicals in your body by providing them with the oxygen molecule that they are missing and making them stable. There are five main kinds of natural antioxidants, which are:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Coenzyme Q 10
• Lipoic acid
• Gluthatione

Together, these 5 antioxidants make up the network of natural antioxidants. Although each of these antioxidants has its respective benefits individually, their best and safest use is when they are used in combination with one another.

Here, I need to elaborate on the use of the network of natural antioxidants. It is the belief of many people, and some recent medical studies have also supported this belief, that using natural antioxidants can be very dangerous as the natural antioxidants have serious side effects which can increase your risk of health problems. However, what most people do not understand is that the problem does not lie with the natural antioxidants per-se, but in how they are used by people.

When people do not consult natural health care practitioners and use the natural antioxidants on their own, they typically take only one or two of the natural antioxidants depending on what specific benefits they are trying to achieve. If you take a high dose of any particular natural antioxidant without taking proper doses of the others, this is when the problems start and the antioxidants begin to harm you instead of benefiting you.

But, if you consult a natural health expert and then take the appropriate combination of the network of natural antioxidants, instead of taking high dose of only one antioxidant, then you will see that they do not harm your body but give you tremendous benefits, including protecting your body from serious illnesses and delaying the aging process.

Dr. Nabil Khoury is a medical doctor who practices integrative medicine combining allopathic medicine and natural health. Visit his website Natural health and longevity bible to learn more about natural antioxidants.

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Antioxidant Vitamins

The antioxidant vitamins found in fruits, vegetables, teas and supplements are proving to be powerful agents in the fight against disease causing free radicals.

The original concept was to take recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamins to a level that would prevent acute deficiency diseases like the Sailor’s disease scurvy. These are the standards by which RDA’s were created.

However, in recent years, research has shown that Vitamins taken in higher doses can prevent sever chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. A debate still rages, but there is a plethora of research being done on Vitamin A, C, E, the antioxidant vitamins.

A National Institute of Health clinical trial involving people at high risk of developing advanced stages of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), showed that patients’ risk decreased by 25 percent when treated with high doses of antioxidant vitamins and zinc.

Another study at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta showed that taking Vitamin E along with multivitamins reduced risk from stroke and heart illness. Among patients who took the combination, mortality risk decreased by 15 percent for these two diseases.

This September, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded a study investigating the relationship between Vitamin C and cancer, suggesting that Vitamin C may fight cancer. They found, in a laboratory setting, that high doses of Vitamin C injected directly into the bloodstream killed cancer cells.

Though the current RDA for Vitamin C is stuck at 60 mg, many researchers suggest that raising the RDA to between 100 and 200 mg would be a great way for people to get the antioxidants that they need to maintain overall well being.

Be careful when purchasing vitamins and supplements though. Research has shown that whole food vitamins, or vitamins with their co-factors, are much more effective than isolated nutrients. Nutrition is a complex process of thousands of chemical reactions within our bodies. Vitamins are always better in their natural state - in the foods we eat. Supplements should never be used in place of a poor diet.

The smart choice is to look for whole food vitamins to supplement an already good diet for the times you can't get everything you need at meal time.

Alan LeStourgeon along with his wife Jean run the web site http://www.ezHealthyDiet.com where they explore what it means to eat a healthy diet, have a healthy home and live a healthier life.

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Natural Antioxidants - Foods That Keep You Young and Healthy

Are you looking for best sources of natural antioxidants and how to work them best into your diet? With so many dietary supplements around it seems that all you need to do to stay healthy is to take several of these pills a day. Don't let the advertisement mislead you. Antioxidants are extremely important to our health, but no supplement can beat antioxidants we get naturally from food.

Common sense tells us that since most antioxidants are well known vitamins, the best source for them is fruits and vegetables. This is true, even though not all veggies are the same in this respect. So if you want to make sure that your antioxidant intake is enough, you should chose vegetables and fruits that are high in antioxidants.

Best sources of natural antioxidants

Usually you can judge how much antioxidants a particular fruit or vegetable has by its color. Brighter the color, more useful vitamins you will get from eating it. Berries are the leaders when it comes to antioxidants - blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, cranberry and blueberry are all high in flavonoids. Flavonoids successfully neutralise the damage free radicals can do to your health including effect of peroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, and singlet oxygen.

Healthy food doesn't have to be dull; you can make delicious deserts from berries. Adding sugar doesn't decrease berries antioxidant properties. However, adding milk, cream or any other milk product does. Apparently milk minimizes the effect of natural antioxidants. So keep this in mind when preparing berry deserts.

Oranges, grapefruits and other citruses are another popular source of antioxidant vitamins. If you prefer drinking fruit juice rather than eating oranges, chose freshly squeezed juices.

Other natural antioxidant sources

Not all antioxidants are in fruits and vegetables. Green tea is a great source of flavonoids. So if you are a tea lover, chose green varieties.

Another unusual source of antioxidants is coffee. Not only it helps you to wake up on a cold, slow morning, but it provides your body with antioxidants. According to a study by researchers at the University of Scranton, coffee is a leading source of antioxidants for Americans. Decaf coffee just as good antioxidant source as ordinary coffee, but you should remember - no milk.

Dark chocolate also contain antioxidants. So as you can see, sometimes foods we all love anyway, can bring great benefits to your health.

Easy ways to include antioxidants in your diet

Teach yourself to eat fruits as snacks, instead of common junk snacks. Dry fruits are good natural source of antioxidants, dates and prunes being the leaders. But of course, if you are watching your weight you have to be careful, because all dry fruits are high on sugar as well.

Garnish like parsley, coriander and dill are excellent antioxidant sources. Add them to your meals. Most spices are also high in antioxidants, so not only they give your food rich flavor, but they also supply vitamins.

Stir fry is a preferred method of cooking, to preserve antioxidants in vegetables. Most vitamins are easily destroyed by heat, so less you cook your dish; the better it is for you.

Natural antioxidants can bring you many health benefits. It is now proven that regular consumption of antioxidant foods works as cancer prevention. Also antioxidants are great anti-aging agents.

There are more natural antioxidant foods that every person can include into her diet. Visit Antioxidants 4 Health to learn what antioxidants are essential for your health and where to get them without making your diet unpleasant.

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Antioxidant Supplements - As Good As Natural Antioxidants?

It is now a common knowledge that antioxidants are beneficial for your health. There are two ways to make sure that you get your intake of antioxidants. One is to include foods rich in antioxidants in your everyday diet. Another is to take an antioxidant supplement. Which way is better? Do antioxidant dietary supplements provide the same benefits to your health as natural antioxidants?

The market is full of antioxidant pills, drinks and other products that all claim to have anti-aging effect and even protect you from cancer. Many of them have minerals and vitamins that are intended to straighten your immune system, and generally have a positive effect on your health.

Antioxidant food supplements are not a recent discovery

Antioxidant supplements have been on the market for a very long time. Only they were not called that. Every time you take a Vitamin C, Vitamin A or Vitamin E supplement, you are taking an antioxidant. They have gained a tremendous popularity in recent years, because now it is scientifically proved that antioxidants can prevent many types of cancer.

Vitamin C supplement is an antioxidant

One of the most powerful antioxidants is actually a good old Vitamin C that also protects us from common cold. Vitamin C supplements are inexpensive and easy to find. So here is your first antioxidant supplement, even if it is not called that way on the jar. Also don't forget about natural sources of Vitamin C, such as oranges, grapefruits, grape and their juices.

Vitamin C is the only water soluble vitamin, so it is nearly impossible to overdose on it. 500 mg daily is considered an optimum dose. When drinking packaged orange juice, check the label. Many juice companies add additional vitamin C to their juices, so quite often a single glass of orange juice a day can be sufficient for your antioxidant vitamin C intake.

Vitamin A and E supplements

Vitamin A, beta carotene and Vitamin E are also strong antioxidants. Many foods contain these vitamins, and they also come in a supplement form. Cheaper supplements are synthetic, more expensive ones are derived from natural sources, like grape seeds. Some scientists argue that synthetic antioxidants are as good as the natural ones. But majority of doctors recommend natural antioxidant supplements to their patients.

American Heart Association doesn't consider supplements beneficial

Antioxidants are very beneficial not only to prevent cancer, but also to prevent many heart deceases. American Heart Association doesn't approve of taking antioxidant vitamin supplements to improve your health. They believe that natural antioxidant foods are better. American Heart Association argues that there is no evidence that antioxidant supplements provide cardiovascular protection.

Their studies revealed that our body doesn't absorb antioxidant supplements as well as it absorbs natural vitamins from fruits and vegetables. So vitamins supplement don't do you any harm, but they don't bring too much benefit either.

Other doctors, on the other hand, argue that antioxidant supplements are beneficial for your health. A supplement can help you have a proper antioxidant intake even if you don't get it with food.

While doctors still argue, it make sense to include as much of antioxidant food in your diet as your can. Especially that most fruits are not only a rich antioxidant source, but they are also high in fiber and low in fat. So you shouldn't try to replace natural sources of antioxidants with supplements. However, it is a good idea to take an additional antioxidant supplement as well, because with a level of pollution and stress in modern life your body needs all the help it can get.

Visit Antioxidants 4 Health to find more about how to take the most advantage of antioxidants. We review several Antioxidant Supplements to help you find ones that are best suited to your needs

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