The Antioxidant Guide

Get More Fighting Power in Your Diet

-- By Elizabeth Evans Fryer, Health & Fitness Writer

Are you sitting down? Here’s some alarming news: Researchers are discovering that functions as basic as eating and breathing produce dangerous substances in our bodies called free radicals. We’ll skip the organic chemistry lesson and simply say that scientists have found that these free radicals are packed with extra oxygen that destroys cells in our bodies.

Specific age-related problems most likely linked to free radicals include vision loss, heart disease, declining mental faculties and cancer. Eating foods containing antioxidants may slow the progression of these age-related diseases.

Antioxidants reportedly slow the aging process. It is an idea not totally embraced by the medical field – yet. It is gaining momentum though. "It is clear that up to 70% of strokes and 80% of heart disease can be prevented by changes in diet and lifestyle," says Balz Frei, Ph.D., director of Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute, as reported in the April 2004 issue of Health.

Even if your doctor has yet to jump on the antioxidant bandwagon, consuming produce is part of a healthy diet. For easy ways to add wholesome, antioxidant-rich produce to your diet, check out an article on Secret Weapon Ingredients. And remember, the darker the color of the fruit or vegetable, the more antioxidants it has and the better it is for you.

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• LOSETONEED "Great article, glad to know that I'm already eating most of the fruits and ..."
• RIKKISAM "I eat blueberries practically every day. After reading this article, I'm s..."
• TRUCKUME "This is a message everyone should read, then follow through and eat better."

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