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Antioxidants: The Secret to Feeling Younger
Dr. Wayne Neal
Do you want to prevent premature aging? Learn how to
get enough antioxidants to help you feel younger!
Tug-of-war
The body has a constant tug-of-war between antioxidants
and free radicals. What are free radicals? They are unstable molecules in the
body that attack other molecules causing diseases and premature aging. These
“bad guys” are kept in check by antioxidants, the “good guys”. Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals and
protect the body from their harmful effects.
Where Do
They Come From?
Free radicals
can come from inside and outside of the body. Inside the body, they are a
natural byproduct of inflammation and metabolism. White blood cells use free
radicals to destroy viruses and bacteria. Free radicals are produced in your
cells as a result of metabolism.
Certain foods
produce more free radicals than others. Refined vegetable oils and foods cooked
with them (i.e. chips, crackers, fried foods, and processed foods) produce more
free radicals than the body is designed to neutralize.
External
sources of free radicals are excessive sunlight, ionizing radiation, cigarette
smoking, pesticides, chlorinated water, and air pollution. These can damage the
DNA and result in diseases like cancer and heart disease. It is important to
decrease the number of free radicals in the body and increase the antioxidants
used to neutralize them.
Foods High in Antioxidants
Antioxidants are
like the police of the body. They arrest the criminals (i.e. free radicals)
and protect the body from their harmful effects. Certain foods are
naturally high in antioxidants. Berries are a tasty way to get your daily
supply. Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries, and raspberries
are great in smoothies. Organic berries are best because of the free radical
found in pesticides.
An apple a day
keeps the free radicals away. Whether it is Red Delicious, Golden Delicious,
Granny Smith, Gala, or Fuji, apples are a great source of antioxidants and
fiber. Other excellent fruits are grapes, raisins, pomegranates, and
pomegranate juice.
Garlic is one
of the best foods for protecting the body from free radicals. Red, kidney,
black and pinto beans are also an excellent choice. Nuts like pecans,
macadamia, and walnuts have healthy oils in addition to antioxidants in them.
The key is to eat a variety of antioxidant-rich foods and eat them often!
Supplements
If you are in the high-risk group
of free radicals, you may consider taking supplements. Here is a chart of
different antioxidant supplements covered in The Antioxidant Miracle by Lester Packer, Ph.D. He is regarded as the
world’s foremost antioxidant research scientist. He is also the head of the
Packer Lab at the University of California at Berkley.
|
Antioxidant |
Strengthens |
Helps Prevent |
FYI |
Found in |
Lipoic Acid |
Memory, energy production,
controls adult diabetes |
Heart disease, cancer,
stroke, cataracts |
Recycles ALL five of the
network antioxidants |
Potatoes, spinach (1 mg
per 7 lbs) |
Vitamin E |
Increases life span, helps
clear clogged arteries, protects skin, relieves arthritis |
Heart disease, stroke,
Alzheimer's, |
Need all 4 tocopherols and
4 tocotrienols. "d-alpha" is natural, "dl-alpha" is
synthetic |
Vegetable oils, nuts,
grain, tocotrienols in bran |
Vitamin C |
Immune system, recycles
vitamin E |
Cancer, heart disease,
scurvy |
Excess is excreted |
Red peppers, broccoli,
cranberries, citrus |
CoQ10 |
Rejuvenates brain cells |
Heart disease, gum disease |
Has been used for 20 yrs
in Japan to treat and prevent heart disease |
Seafood and organ meat |
Glutathione |
Detoxifies body, strengthens
immune system, |
Prevents bronchitis and
pneumonia |
Takes 100 mg of lipoic
acid for body to make it. It is the cell's primary antioxidant |
Fresh fruits and
vegetables. Destroyed by acetaminophen |
Flavonoids |
Improve memory and
concentration, lowers blood pressure |
Blood clots, LDL
cholesterol in arteries, reduces inflammation |
Boosts effectiveness of
vitamin C, found with it in nature |
Citrus fruits, apples,
onions, red grapes, berries, pine bark |
Carotenoids |
Converts to Vitamin A if
needed, good for eyes and vision |
Cancer, lycopene for
prostate cancer, lutein for cataracts |
Give the color to yellow,
orange, red, purple and dark green vegetables |
Fruits & veggies:
carotene (orange in carrots), lutein (green
in spinach), & lycopene (red in tomatoes.) |
Selenium |
Synergistic effect with
vitamin E |
Lung, prostate and colon
cancer, stroke and heart disease |
Trace mineral needed for
formation of two antioxidants |
Garlic, onion, broccoli,
whole grains, red grapes, egg yolks |
For further information on this topic, you may contact Dr. Neal at
770.952.5353, or by email at DrNeal@humberparkerson.com.
The Highest Level is the monthly e-mail newsletter of the
© Humber Parkerson
Clinic 2006
March 2006 issue of The Highest Level
