Antioxidant... Now that's an almost magical word! These molecules found in our food and beauty products are said to be real health allies. Antioxidants are said to be "youth factors", "anti-rust" or "anti-aging", because their active compounds play an important role in protecting our cells. Why are antioxidants essential to health? What is oxidation and why do we absolutely have to seek anti-oxidation? How do they protect our body? Explanation on the power of these essential compounds.
Antioxidants are molecules capable of acting against oxidation caused by harmful substances called free radicals. To protect itself from the toxic effects of these free radicals, the body has developed antioxidant defense systems composed of enzymes, vitamins, trace elements and proteins. But when oxidative stress is too great, it is essential to provide our bodies with new sources of antioxidants through the diet. Antioxidants present in food are mainly vitamins A, C and E, polyphenols and certain minerals.
The oxygen we breathe causes many chemical reactions in our bodies, including the production of unbalanced atoms known as free radicals. These substances are therefore unavoidable, but the body must protect itself against them because they are capable of initiating "oxidative stress", i.e. an acceleration of the body's aging process.
As long as free radicals are in small quantities in the body, they remain harmless because they help the body fight microbes and viruses. But when the body is overwhelmed and can no longer fight them, it finds itself in a state of stress, called "oxidative stress". The free radicals then spread rapidly to neighbouring molecules, triggering an oxidation process. This oxidation will destroy all the healthy cells and lead to chain reactions that can lead to certain pathologies or diseases, such as :
Weakening of the immune system
Decreased brain function
Cardiovascular diseases
Age-related degenerative diseases (atherosclerosis, arthritis, dementia)
Neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson, Alzheimer)
Eye diseases (macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma)
By attacking collagen, free radicals are responsible for the formation of wrinkles
As we have seen, the main atomic compound in our body is oxygen. During cellular respiration, a series of chemical reactions occur that are necessary for our body, such as cell division or detoxification. But these physiological processes will also generate free radicals.
The production of free radicals is increased by external factors, such as :
Tobacco
Pollution
Alcohol
Stress and anxiety
Aging
Nutritional deficiencies in vitamins and minerals
Heavy metal poisoning (mercury, lead)
Irradiation (UV, X-rays, etc.)
Antioxidants prevent or slow down the harmful effects of free radicals by neutralizing them when they are in excess in the body. They act as a kind of "shield" by preventing free radicals from developing harmful reactions against our cells.
The role of antioxidants is threefold:
They prevent the formation of free radicals
They eliminate them when there are too many
They repair damaged cells
The actions of free radicals and antioxidants can be summarized by the cut apple and the lemon. Indeed, when an apple is cut, it quickly turns brown in the open air. In fact, it oxidizes because it is attacked by free radicals. If lemon juice had been poured over the cut flesh, it would not have turned brown so quickly. The vitamin C in the lemon is an antioxidant that works for both the fruit and our bodies!
By neutralizing excess free radicals in the body, antioxidants block their production to prevent premature aging of our cells and promote the natural regeneration process. Antioxidants therefore have a role in protecting the body against the harmful effects of free radicals.
Every day, our bodies use antioxidants to fight free radicals. But where do these antioxidants come from?
When our diet is balanced, our body produces its own antioxidants to fight free radicals. Hence the importance of a varied diet rich in antioxidant nutrients.
Our bodies can also get them from food. The main antioxidant nutrients are :
Vitamins A, C, E
Trace elements: zinc, iodine, selenium, manganese
Other nutrients, such as polyphenols, lycopene, flavonoids, beta-carotene, lutein
The best natural food sources of antioxidants are:
Fruits and vegetables
Fish, seafood, meat
Whole grains, legumes, green tea, some spices
Cold-pressed vegetable oils
Eating an antioxidant diet is not always easy. Even though there are many food sources, it means eating large amounts of fruits, vegetables and other antioxidant foods every day. To supplement your intake, you can resort to food supplements. From plants, fruits or micronutrients, choose those rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, catechins, polyphenols, zinc, selenium and manganese,