The Secret to staying young? Antioxidants

With all the talk about antioxidants, what are they and what do they really do?

The cells in our body are constantly under attack from free radicals.  The free radicals are naturally produced as your body makes energy from food but can also come from environmental stresses – pollution, smoking, etc.

What is so bad about free radicals?  The damage that they cause is thought to increase LDL cholesterol, play a role in alzheimer’s disease and in aging in general.

This is where antioxidants come into the picture – they work to cancel out the free radicals.   Vitamin C, E and carotenoids are the main sources of antioxidants so adding them into your diet is a good idea.  They can help reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and can help to protect brain, vision and slow the aging process.

Antioxidants really are the fountain of youth.