Bien-être 22/02/2021

The power of antioxidants

Antioxidant... What an almost magical word! These molecules found on our plates and in our beauty products would be true 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 would antioxidants be essential for health? What is oxidation and why do we absolutely seek to anti-oxidize? How do they protect our body? Explanation of the power of these essential compounds.

What is an antioxidant?

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 high, it is essential to provide our body with new sources of antioxidants through diet. The antioxidants present in foods are mainly vitamins A, C, and E, polyphenols, as well as certain minerals. 

What are free radicals?

The oxygen we breathe causes many chemical reactions in our body, notably the production of unbalanced atoms called free radicals. These substances are therefore inevitable, but the body must protect itself from them because they can initiate "oxidative stress," which is an acceleration of the body's aging.

Free radicals at the origin of many diseases

As long as free radicals are in low quantity 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 combat them, it enters a state of stress called "oxidative stress." Free radicals then rapidly spread to neighboring molecules, triggering an oxidation process. This oxidation will destroy all healthy cells in its path and cause chain reactions that can lead to certain pathologies or diseases, such as:

• Weakening of the immune system

• Decline in brain functions

• Cardiovascular diseases

• Age-related degenerative diseases (atherosclerosis, arthritis, dementia)

• Neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's, Alzheimer's)

• Eye diseases (macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma)

• By attacking collagen, free radicals are responsible for the formation of wrinkles

 

Where do free radicals come from?

From the inside: our body

As we have seen, the main atomic component of our body is oxygen. During cellular respiration, a series of chemical reactions necessary for our body occur, such as cell division or detoxification. But these physiological processes also generate free radicals.

 

From the outside: our environment

The production of free radicals is increased due to external factors, such as:

• Tobacco

• Pollution

• Alcohol

• Stress and anxiety

• Aging

• Nutritional deficiencies in vitamins and minerals

• Heavy metal poisoning (mercury, lead)

• Irradiations (UV, X-rays, etc.)

 

What is the role of antioxidants?

Antioxidants are tasked with preventing or slowing the harmful effects of free radicals by neutralizing them when they are in excess in the body. They act somewhat like a "shield" by preventing free radicals from causing harmful reactions against our cells.

The role of antioxidants is threefold:

1. They prevent the formation of free radicals

2. They eliminate them when there are too many

3. They repair damaged cells

How do antioxidants fight free radicals?

The actions of free radicals and antioxidants can be summed up by the cut apple and the lemon. Indeed, when you cut an apple, it quickly browns in open air. In reality, it oxidizes because it is attacked by free radicals. If lemon juice had been poured on the cut flesh, it would not have turned brown so quickly. The vitamin C contained in lemon is an antioxidant that works as well for fruits as for our body!

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 play a protective role for the body against the harmful effects of free radicals.

The two sources of antioxidants

Every day, our body uses antioxidants to cope with free radicals. But where do these antioxidants come from?

1. Our body

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.

2. Our diet

Our body can also obtain 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, certain spices

• Cold-pressed vegetable oils

And what about dietary supplements?

Adopting an antioxidant diet is not always easy. Even though there are many food sources, it requires consuming significant amounts of fruits, vegetables, and other antioxidant foods daily. To supplement your intake, you can use dietary supplements. Derived from plants, fruits, or micronutrients, favor those rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, catechins, polyphenols, zinc, selenium, and manganese,