Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM September 2018 | Page 14

We hear it all the time on the news, in magazines, and advertisements. They are constantly talking about antioxidants, how good they are, and how beneficial it is to have them. Food and drink labels have in big letters “high in antioxidants.” That’s all fine and dandy do you really know what antioxidants are and what they do to benefit your health? First you need to know what they combat, and those are free radicals. Free radicals are basically unstable molecules which occur naturally during metabolism, or the process your body goes through when it turns food into energy. These unstable molecules attack and damage normal molecules that are part of your bodies internal make up. When enough of those molecules are attacked by free radicals it can damage healthy cells. This can eventually lead to poor organ function, premature aging, and plenty of other health problems that result from damage to your body. How do you avoid free radicals? Well you can’t, they are a natural byproduct of your body. However, you can do things like eat a healthy diet so your body is producing energy from its food in a highly efficient way, thereby reducing the number of free radicals created as well as……consume antioxidants!!! Now we are getting to the good stuff, right?!? 13 MOMENTUM / September 2018 By: Louie Robinson, DC [email protected] Clear Creek Chiropractic Center Antioxidants are molecules that sacrifice themselves and stabilize the free radicals in your body so that they do not attack healthy cells. Thus, preventing damage caused by free radicals. Some examples of them are Vitamin C, E, and CO-Q 10 which is a very powerful antioxidant. There are several ways to increase your bodies supply of antioxidants. My personal favorite is from eating a healthy diet with lots of leafy greens and citrus fruits which are both high in antioxidants. Don’t just go with those 2 examples, there are plenty of foods out there with a high density of antioxidants, do some research and find some you already like. Th e o t h e r w a y i s t h ro u g h s u p p l e m e n t a t i o n . Unfortunately, today with all the over farming, GMOs, and plants that are picked before they are ripe, the nutrient density of modern food has declined. This means for your body to be able to properly eliminate free radicals, it needs a little extra help from nutrient supplementation. I do not endorse any specific brand, but in my experience, you get what you pay for. That being said, there are some expensive poor-quality brands out there. My best advice is to consult a nutritionist before starting a supplement regimen and get some recommendations from them.