The power of antioxidants are becoming well known. They help the body to fight free radicals, they can slow the aging process, help prevent disease and promote a vibrant and healthy lifestyle.
What are Antioxidants?
Every day the cells in our body are constantly being attacked and damaged by free radicals. Free radicals are a by-product of metabolism and occur naturally in the body. In addition, exposure to pollutants, sun light or other environmental exposures also contribute to cell damage.
What are Free Radicals?
Free radicals are unstable molecules that have lost an oxygen molecule. These unstable molecules steal oxygen molecules from healthy cells in the body. This process is called oxidation. One example of the oxidation affects of free radicals on healthy cells is the browning of a freshly cut apple or potato.
If you have ever cut an apple or a potato and let it set on the kitchen counter for 20 minutes you have witnessed the affects of free radicals on healthy cells. The browning of the exposed fruit is what is called "cellular rust" or oxidation. Damage from free-radicals have been linked to a whole host of disease including Alzheimers, Parkinsons, cardio-vascular disease and more.
Where do we get Antioxidants and How do we Measure them?
Fruits and vegetables are the biggest source of dietary antioxidants. Fruits like blueberries, strawberries, pomegranates, Acai and Goji berries are excellent sources of powerful antioxidants. To get a proper daily serving of antioxidants, it is recommended to get 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
ORAC is the standard measurement of the total antioxidant power of food. ORAC is short for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. Nutritionist recommended we consume approximately 5000 ORAC units per day to offset the damaging effects of free radicals. However with today's hectic lifestyles and time-crunched schedules getting even one serving a fresh fruit or vegetables into your diet can be a challenge.
A Hassle-Free Way to Get Antioxidants into Your Diet
Here are 4 simple ways to incorporate antioxidant rich fruit and vegetables into your day diet.
- Fresh Fruit: Instead of buying a bag of candy the next time you go shopping get a couple of apples or a pound of grapes. Apples and grapes make for quick and healthy snacks. In addition, you can take them with you to work.
- Super Fruit Juice Concentrates: Fruit juice concentrates make an excellent alternative to a can of soda. For example, tart cherry juice concentrate delivers 7000 ORAC units per one ounce. It takes approximately 100 tart cherries to make one ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate. In fact, some companies will even ship this antioxidant-rich juice right to your door. One supplier of tart cherry concentrate with an excellent shipping record and high customer service scores is Traverse Bay Farms.
- Dried Super Fruits: In addition to making a tasty addition to your morning cereal, a handful of dried super fruits make a healthy snack. They also make a good alternative to the candy in the candy jar next to your computer.
- Super Fruit Supplements: If you are looking for the highest concentration of antioxidants per serving, consider super fruit supplements. Super fruit supplements deliver the entire fruit including the skin and the pulp of the fruit into an easy-to-swallow capsule.
For example, one daily serving of Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules equals the antioxidant power of 5 glasses of tart cherry juice concentrate. This makes super fruit supplements an ideal choice for busy moms, executives, retiree or anyone wanting to get satisfy the daily antioxidant intake requirement. One source for cherry capsules is Fruit Advantage.
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