Posts Tagged ‘antioxidant’

Anti-oxidants are very popular these days because of their health-enhancing and anti-aging benefits. But what exactly are anti-oxidants and why are they so important?

Anti-Oxidants: Your Body’s Free Radical ‘Bouncers”
Anti-oxidants are chemicals produced by the body to keep free radicals in check. Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms that have at least one unpaired electron, which makes them unstable and highly reactive.  Anti-oxidants eliminate free radicals by circulating throughout your body and neutralizing any unpaired electrons they encounter, rendering them inactive.

Unfortunately, if your body is unable to produce enough anti-oxidants to meet the high demands caused by too much stress, pollution, poor dietary choices, and the electromagnetic fields that bombard us every day, free radicals continue to multiply, speeding up the aging process, and opening the door to many illnesses.

Where Do Free Radicals Come From and Why are They Dangerous?
Free radicals are formed as part of your body’s normal metabolic process and perform a number of important activities that promote health and well-being. They fight bacteria, help keep inflammation in check, and help regulate normal activity of the blood vessels and organs by maintaining smooth muscle tone. However, daily stress and other irritants can generate an overabundance of free radicals. Because of their unstable nature, too many free radicals damage tissue cells and may speed up the progression of cancer, heart disease and various age-related conditions.

Anti-Oxidant Herbs: Nature’s Medicine Cabinet
To keep free radicals in check you must eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. For added support, add one or more of the following herbs to your daily diet to enhance your body’s inherent ability to produce anti-oxidants, increase the uptake of tissue oxygen and scavenge free radicals:

Acai has become popular because of its high anti-oxidant content. In addition, many people have noticed significant weight loss by taking just a couple of acai berry capsules a day.

Acerola is high in vitamin C, which is a powerful free radical scavenger with anti-oxidant effects. Acerola is used in cosmetics to fight cellular aging, not just for its high vitamin content, but also for its mineral salts, which have shown to aid in the re-mineralization of tired and stressed skin.  The mucilage and proteins in Acerola also have skin-hydrating properties and promote capillary conditioning.

Cayenne Pepper is known to improve both digestion and circulation. Rich in flavonoids, these hot fruits also possess anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity.

Hawthorn is the best heart tonic and provides a strong concentration of anti-oxidants to fight free radicals. Hawthorn leaf, flower and berries nourish, strengthen, and tone the heart muscle and its blood vessels.

Milk Thistle is another powerful anti-oxidant. It helps fight the damaging effects of free radicals, stimulates basic liver function, protects the liver against damaging chemicals, and rebuilds liver cells that have been damaged.

Mullein is a respiratory herb with anti-oxidant properties. This abundant and valuable herb is known to increase the uptake of tissue oxygen while scavenging free radicals. Additionally, mullein increases the absorption and assimilation of dietary nutrients. This combination increases life force vitality, hence contributes to anti-aging.

Rhodiola is known to increase physical endurance, enhance immune function, and possess anti-oxidant properties.

Rosemary is a powerful anti-oxidant herb, with great memory-enhancing and heart-strengthening properties. This beautiful garden herb stimulates blood circulation, tones the blood vessels, is invigorating, and increases awareness.

Turmeric is very popular these days and prescribed by many doctors for its valuable anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This beautiful golden/orange herb is a traditional Indian cooking spice that stimulates and improves digestion and also purifies the blood. It is believed to act as a natural antibiotic, and at the same time improve intestinal flora. Good for all inflammatory conditions, turmeric is a metabolism regulator, assists in protein digestion, and has been known to work amazingly well for arthritis.

Honeybush is a delicious sweet tea with many health benefits. Honeybush is caffeine free and rich in anti-oxidants, helps to support immune function, maintains fat and cholesterol levels within normal ranges, as well as working as an anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic.

Rooibos contains more anti-oxidant properties than green tea. These anti-aging properties have been shown to slow down human aging processes, as well as boost the immune system.