Antioxidants? Information about antioxidants
General Info No Comments »Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our bodies use oxygen they naturally produce free radicals (byproducts), which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as “scavengers” and thus to prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals.
Antioxidants are found in the nutrient antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E and the minerals copper, zinc and selenium. Other dietary food compounds, such as the phytochemicals in plants and zoochemicals from animal products, is believed to have higher antioxidant activity than either vitamins or minerals. These are included as non-nutrient antioxidants and phytochemicals, such as lycopene found in tomatoes, and anthocyanins in cranberries.
An antioxidant is a molecule that slows or prevents the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from one substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can free radicals, the chain reactions that start damaging the cells. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by free radicals are intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by oxidized themselves.






