Natural Sources of Antioxidants

By Dr. Nelly Stoyanova

Antioxidants are believed to help fight the aging effects of free radicals thus, slowing down the effects of stress.

Free radicals in excess alter the blood lipids and cause the atherosclerotic plaques that clog the blood vessels. It is easy to imagine the outcome- heart attack, stroke and other conditions like infections, cancer or osteoarthritis, that no one wants to experience. Right?

Boomers, pay attention to this: Excessive free radicals speed the aging process. And we as baby boomers are not happy about that.

And here come the antioxidants to the rescue. They are notorious for reducing the strength of free radicals.

I. Are they available in the nature?

Yes. There are 5 basic natural sources:

1. Vitamin C (protects against lipid oxidation which means no clogs in the small vessels)

2. Vitamin E (works with Vitamin C to prevent atherosclerosis) Read this very carefully.

Vitamin E is composed of four different tocopherols. Most vitamin supplements contain only one of them (alpha-tocopherol). You need to take a mixture of the entire spectrum of vitamin E to get the antioxidant effect benefits.

3. Gluthatione is my favorite because of its rejuvenating and anti aging effects. It detoxifies the blood, recycles vitamin C.

4. Coenzyme Q 10

Co Q 10 is part of the defense network that protects lipids from free radical attacks. Used to speed the recovery of heart attack patients. People taking statin drugs to lower their cholesterol need to take it on a regular base.

5. Lipoic acid

A key player that recycles all the others and regenerates itself.

II. Can we eat or drink antioxidants?

Sure. The magic words are: raw fruits and vegetables Strongly recommended natural sources: pineapple and papaya!

III. Are there any quantity restrictions?

None if taken as raw fruits or vegetables because the body system extracts only the quantity it needs at a given moment. If you are taking supplements you need to read carefully the leaflet that goes with. It is easy to overdose on supplements and do more harm than good because the soluble vitamins enter the blood stream directly and can overload the kidneys and the liver.

Many people have overdosed on vit E only to find out that they were poisoning themselves for years.

Be careful when taking any vitamins or supplements, always ask your doctor’s advice and keep in mind that messing with mother nature always has consequences.

I was horrified to see a mother giving her children a cocktail of 35 vitamins and supplements daily. You can only imagine the damage done to their kidneys and liver.

When in doubt- ask. Nobody wants to intentionally hurt his/her body- it just happens because of lack of knowledge.

Copyright Dr. Nelly Stoyanova

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Author's bio: Dr. Nelly Stoyanova is a physician, medical researcher and health behavior expert. She studies the effects of stress on heart disease, type 2 diabetes and sleep. Her website: Belly Fat, Stress and Baby Boomers (http://www.stress-fat-heart-solutions-for-boomers.com) evaluates sources of stress for people over 50 and provides great tips to balance your day-to-day stress and stay healthy. Turn your life around and benefit from her expertise. For individual guidance sessions or to schedule a public speaking event use the Contact page or email at drnstoyanova@gmail.com

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