Antioxidants: What Are They and Why Do You Need Them?
You may have heard that antioxidants are good for your health, but what exactly are they and how do they work? Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your body1. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage your cells and cause diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and aging12. Free radicals are produced by your body as a normal part of metabolism, but they can also come from external sources such as pollution, smoking, alcohol, radiation, and stress12.
Antioxidants can prevent or slow down the damage caused by free radicals by donating electrons to them and making them stable1. Antioxidants can be found in many natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spices, herbs, tea, coffee, and chocolate12. Some examples of antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lycopene, flavonoids, polyphenols, and glutathione123.
Antioxidants have many health benefits for your body. They can protect your cells from oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage123. They can also boost your immune system, skin health, eye health, brain function, and blood sugar regulation
