I need you to stop what you are doing RIGHT NOW and go find some dark chocolate, it could save your life!
Okay, maybe that was a *little* dramatic. But without antioxidants to protect your body from oxidation, free radicals are free to destroy cells, aid in the aging process (in a very negative way) and can play a big part in cancer and diseases developing! And where do you find these lifesaving, skin aiding antioxidants? Dark chocolate! Okay and some other places, but let’s focus on the positive here.
But let’s break it down a little further as to what we are actually talking about here- what are antioxidants, free radicals and oxidation and why is one vitally important and the other two we want to avoid?
Antioxidants are literally just “substances that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals” and “is not really the name of a substance, but rather it describes what a range of substances can do” according to Medical News Today.
Antioxidants can be found in Vitamins A, C, and E; dark chocolate; (please note here very specifically the dark in dark chocolate- the higher the cocoa count, the better the chocolate is for you overall and the higher the antioxidant count. Milk and white chocolate don’t make the cut here…) most of your berries- cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.; and your very vibrantly colored veggies- kale, beets, spinach; and let’s not forget your beans. Your body does not produce many antioxidants on its own and it reliant upon outside sources to help it along in fight these free radicals.
Now, what is oxidation and why are free radicals so bad? Let’s look back to the Medical News Today article which states: “Free radicals are waste substances produced by cells as the body processes food and reacts to the environment. If the body cannot process and remove free radicals efficiently, oxidative stress can result. This can harm cells and body function. Free radicals are also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS).”
However, free radicals are not always bad. When there is an even ratio of free radicals to antioxidants, these free radicals can help ward off pathogens and actually protect the body. But when they are too many free radicals, which are unbalanced electrons, they can go around the body and link to other molecules, in turn, causing long-chains in the body. This creates oxidative stress. (If you are confused by this, please do not feel alone as this is quite unwieldy to try and break down.)
Free radicals attack the fatty tissue, make you age faster, and can cause damage to the DNA of your cells. So. Eat your antioxidants, cranberries today can save you from premature wrinkles. Oh, and a plethora of other diseases and cancers!
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