Antioxidants... We have all heard about them, but what on earth are they? Well, let us start off by introducing you all to free radicals. Free radicals are formed in the body during the normal process of metabolism; however, excess production of free radicals occurs when our bodies are exposed to pollutants and toxins, such as chemicals, alcohol, cigarette smoke & pesticides. These free radicals are damaging to the human body and have been linked to diseases such as heart and liver disease, some cancers, tissue damage, aging and a number of other degenerative conditions.
Which brings us to our next topic - antioxidants! What have they got to do with free radicals and why do we need them? Well to understand the importance of antioxidants in the human body we must first understand a bit about cells and molecules (and we apologise in advance for the boring chemistry lesson we are about to teach). Our bodies are made up of many different types of cells, and cells are made up of many different types of molecules. Molecules consist of one or more atoms joint together by a chemical bond.
You can determine an atoms chemical behaviour by examining the number of electrons in its outer shell. When an atom has a full outer shell, it is considered stable and tends not to enter into chemical reactions; however, when an atom does not have enough electrons in its outer shell it is considered unstable and will bond with other atoms to form a molecule.
To put this as simply as possible, free radicals are unstable molecules “floating” around our bodies looking for atoms to “steal” electrons from in order to gain stability. When the stable molecule loses its electron to a free radical, it becomes a free radical itself, starting a chain reaction.
By limiting our exposure to pollutants and toxins, our bodies will not produce these excess free radicals, and therefore will reduce cellular damage and the risk of serious disease. However, another way of ensuring free radicals are limited in our bodies is by consuming a diet high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and are also enzymes i.e. proteins that assist in chemical reactions. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals in our bodies by donating one of their own electrons putting an end to the electron-stealing chain reaction that I explained before.
Once an antioxidant neutralises a free radical, it does not turn into a free radical itself, however it does become oxidized. As a result, it is important to replenish our antioxidant recourses by eating a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, or by taking appropriate supplementation.
Now that we understand just how important antioxidants are in the human body, how do we know if we are receiving adequate levels of antioxidants from our diet? Well, seeing as though you asked, Nutrition Republic is equipped with the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner (as seen on the Dr Oz show), which uses non-invasive methods to quickly and conveniently measure antioxidant activity in the body. The scanner works by using LED light to measure skin caratenoid levels to give you an accurate reading of the bodies defence network. To measure your antioxidant levels, all you have to do is visit us in store. You will receive a personalised scorecard, which you can use to easily track your body’s antioxidant score over a period of time. There is a once off registration fee of $20 which you will receive your scorecard and an on the spot reading, as well as unlimited future access to the scanner to track your progress.
To find out more, visit us in store and our friendly staff will be more than happy to help you out.
Here is a clip of the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner in action on the Dr Oz show.
Team Nutrition Republic
No comments:
Post a Comment