Similarly to our last article about free radicals, this article is again about beauty and esthetics
Today we will be talking about the substances that help eliminate free radicals, antioxidants. Many of you must have heard about antioxidants from commercials and advertisements. But what is the function, where do they come from, and what are the benefits? An antioxidant is a compound that can prevent, suppress, or slow down oxidation.
Just like iron that turns rusty, apples that turn brown, or vegetable oil that starts to have that rancid smell, the metabolism of our body that is further transformed into energy for the cells are also the cause of free radicals that cause oxidation. These have bad effects on our body. Antioxidants have the ability to break down free radicals and prevent oxidation. This helps slow down damage to the cells.
Naturally, our body can produce antioxidants. However, the amount of antioxidants produced is not enough to destroy all the free radicals occurring from both our own metabolism and the external environment (e.g. grilledroasted food, UV light, air pollution, etc.). Combined with the fact that only one kind of antioxidants is not sufficient to prevent all oxidation, it is necessary that we also receive the antioxidants that our body cannot produce by itself such as Vitamin B, Vitamin E, beta-carotene, and Vitamin A, which is contained in fruits and vegetables.
Antioxidants extracted from plants or synthesised have been used as an ingredient of supplements of various kinds to help cure and prevent various diseases, including antiaging and beauty. However, studies show that antioxidants from these supplements are less beneficial to our body than those receive directly from eating fresh fruits and vegetables regularly (of course, it must be cleaned every time before being eaten). There are also other benefits from eating fruits and vegetables; such as fibre that help with digestion, prevent constipation, take cholesterol out of our body, and help remove toxins that can cause certain cancers in our body. (Courtesy of Healthlab Medical Laboratory).
