Antioxidants prevent oxidation, which means they either prevent electrons from being removed from one molecule and passed to another, or they prevent a molecule of oxygen from being added to some other molecule or atom. A simple example involves the oxidation of an atom of carbon when it is oxidized to carbon dioxide. Biologically speaking, antioxidants also help prevent hydrogen ions from being removed from organic compounds.
When a substance like wood (cellulose) is burning, it is being oxidized. The carbon atoms of the cellulose are being oxidized to carbon dioxide and the oxygen is being reduced to water, while the energy of its chemical bonds is being converted to heat and light.
In everyday speech we speak of "burning carbs" to gain energy during an exercise workout. In this case, the sugars we have eaten are being "burned" slowly as they also are converted to water, carbon dioxide and heat. But take note! No light is produced when we burn carbs; no light is produced when we oxidize all kinds of molecules in our bodies. The oxidation is controlled so that energy is released slowly to be used to power our bodies and its processes.
The first thing to learn here is that oxidation in our bodies is not always bad and not always good. Sometimes there are benefits, and at other times there are disadvantages or outright losses.
The benefits are pretty obvious. When we need more energy, we "burn some carbs." We oxidize some sugars to get that energy we need on a short-term basis. We oxidize other kinds of complex carbohydrates, like glycogen, to help our bodies grow and repair themselves.
However, some kinds of molecules in our bodies are constantly at risk of being oxidized. When this happens, they are damaged or destroyed in the process. Then we age a little bit if these other kinds of molecules are part of structures like skin, or blood vessels, or knee joints, or brain tissue, and so on. It is oxidation of this kind that we would like to prevent or slow down to prevent aging.
Unique forms of oxygen and hydrogen, called free radicals, are primary culprits of the aging process. By eating foods that have strong antioxidant activity, we help our bodies fight the toxic effects of these free radicals.
There are three strong antioxidants that are the warriors we depend upon to fight the bad aspects of oxidation. One of them we produce in our bodies; we do not, and cannot get it from the food we eat. Its name is glutathione, a small molecule composed of three amino acids, but don't worry; we aren't going there. Let it suffice to say that if we can't make glutathione ourselves, we are skunked. The other two antioxidant warriors are vitamins C and E. These we must get from the foods we eat.
Good sources of Vitamin C are the fresh fruits of many kinds of plants, and some of their green parts as well. The following presents the best of these foods in descending order from those having fruits/leaves/vegetables with the highest concentration of Vitamin C per gram of plant tissue, down to those with the lowest concentration:
• Rose (rose hips); More than 2000 mg/100 grams plant tissue.
• Black Currant, Red Pepper, Parsley, Red Guava; 100-200 mg/100 grams.
• Kiwi Fruit, Broccoli, Loganberry, Red Currant, Brussels Sprouts, Lychee, Elderberry, Persimmon, Papaya, Strawberry; 60-99 mg/100 grams tissue.
• Orange, Lemon, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Garlic, Grapefruit, Raspberry, Tangerine, Mandarin Orange, Spinach, Cabbage, Lime; 30-50 mg/100 grams of plant tissue.
• Mango, Blackberry, Potato, Honeydew Melon; 20-28 mg/100 grams.
• Cranberry, Tomato, Blueberry, Pineapple, Grape, Açai berry, Apricot, Plum, Watermelon, Banana, Pomegranate, Carrot, Avocado, Crabapple, Cherry, Peach, Apple, Asparagus, Pear, Lettuce, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fig; Bilberry, Horned Melon, Medlar, less than 20 mg/100 grams plant tissue.
Good sources of Vitamin E, otherwise known as Alpha Tocopherol, include the following in no special order:
• Avocado.
• Nuts of woody plants such as almonds and hazelnuts.
• Red palm oil.
• Spinach and other green leafy vegetables.
• Vegetable oils such as canola, corn, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, and olive oil.
• Wheat germ.
• Whole grains and whole grain food products.
• Milk.
• Asparagus.
The most important lesson of this article is that it is wise to add foods that are rich in antioxidants to your diet. Put fresh fruits on your cereal in the morning, and drink a glass of fresh fruit juice as a pep-up at anytime during the day. Juices that are shaken or stirred constantly may not be as healthy due to the destruction of vitamin C. If you do not yet include fresh fruits in your diet, all such additions will help improve your health, fitness, and longevity.
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