SUBSTANCES ATIOXIDANTS

See all supplements antioxidants




Antioxidants are substances that produce directly, but must be introduced with the diet or supplements.
These counteract the effects of free radicals.

Antioxidants such as vitamins C, E, carotenoids, selenium and zinc must be constantly in the diet and / or an additional integration. Others such as sulfur complexes are produced by the body and, when necessary, their levels can be increased with an external supplementation.


Among the most powerful antioxidants present in food, there are:
  • resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant contained in red wine, with strong anti-platelet activity on the formation of atherosclerotic plaque, increasing HDL cholesterol and the prevention of oxidation of LDL (a glass has about 7000 ORAC units). There are numerous studies that indicate the exact dose to be introduced with the power to meet the needs of resveratrol: it is 2 glasses of wine per day;
     


  • cumin, among the spices that has the higher antioxidant activity towards the
    hydroxyl radical OH-, the most powerful free radical of organic chemistry;



      


    



  • lycopene in tomatoes and derivatives (a cool medium tomato has about 120 ORAC units);

       
  • brassicacea are rich in antioxidants (a portion of broccoli sprouts or has approximately 1500 ORAC units. The broccoli also contain important amino
    acids such as arginine, ornithine that have demonstrated a strong capability antioxidants against perossilico radicals and hydroxyl);


     
  • extra virgin olive oil rich in vitamin E, vitamin antiossisante for excellence;

       
 




  • beta-carotene converted to vitamin A content in apricots, carrots and peppers;





 
  • selenium is present in foods of animal and vegetable origin: wheat and its
    derivatives are, in our food, the main source of this mineral, which is contained but also in other cereals, soy, fish and meat.

  

  • vitamin C is widely present in vegetables and fruits: one of the main sources include citrus fruits, strawberries, black currants, red fruits (one cup of blueberries has about 3500 ORAC units, the dark leafy vegetables (broccoli, watercress , spinach, cabbage), tomatoes and potatoes. To maintain the properties of vitamin C in foods is necessary to avoid a long cooking time and it is best to consume fresh fruits and vegetables, which should be kept away from light and heat, but not frozen.  


But how do we know if we introduce the right amount of antioxidants?

There are some methods to measure the antioxidant capacity of a substance, the most famous is the ORAC test (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), that expresses the results with specific units, allowing you to make comparisons with data from the literature on foods such as fruits and vegetables, and especially making it possible to refer to the recommended doses of antioxidants, for a good protection daily. The antioxidant power of a substance is defined by ORAC units.
Numerous studies have identified that the minimum quantity of ORAC units, necessary to obtain positive effects on human health, is equal to about 2000, and has been demonstrated that supplementation with such content of ORAC units, up to 25% increases the antioxidant power of human blood.



Antioxidant supplements are the latest products from the best pharmaceutical companies. These complement a proper diet based on food consumption described above.