Antioxidant Supplements
Antioxidant Health SupplementAs baby boomers ourselves, my husband and I are trying to do the best we can to delay or prevent conditions that are associated with aging.Disease prevention can be done through healthy lifestyle choices, exercise, diet, and good relationships. The question we ask is do we need to add antioxidant supplements to fight this aging battle? There are lots of issues to consider before deciding to add supplements and then of course we need to be smart about which ones we choose. Antioxidants Benefits"Almost every single one of the risk factors we have for macular degeneration can be linked to free radicals." Dr. Lylas Mogk, Director of the Visual Rehabilitation and Research Center of the Henry Ford Health System. Antioxidants are chemicals that neutralize free radicals which damage our bodies and our tissues at the cellular level.
Antioxidants protect us from: √ Exposure to toxins √ Poor food √ The environment - air and water √ Stress All of these contribute to the imbalance of free radicals in our body. It is this imbalance of excess free radicals that damages our bodies at the cellular level. This damage leads to disease and aging. The goal of a healthy body is to achieve a balanced oxidative state. Oxidative stress is to the body like rust is to a car. Oxidative stress has been linked to the aging process. There is growing evidence that diets high in fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes help prevent this oxidative stress.
Is Antioxidant Supplementation Necessary?
I don't believe this can be answered with a simple yes or no - because it depends. It depends on:1) How many fruits and vegetables you are eating daily? 2) Is the produce picked fresh or picked green before key nutrients have developed? 
3) Is the produce organic or genetically modified (GMO)? GMO foods generally have less nutrients than organic foods.4) How do you prepare the produce - do you eat it raw, steamed, cooked in a microwave? 5) Are you exposed to toxins - like a nail salon, radiology, in airplanes a lot, around cigarette smoke? If you do not daily eat a variety of fresh, raw organic fruits and vegetables it may be wise to supplement. According to Lester Packer, PH.D. from Packer Lab at the University of California in Berkley and antioxidant researcher, everybody needs to supplement. He states he and his co-workers have all been taking antioxidant supplements for decades. "I personaly have not experienced the mental slowdown that has become associated with midlife and beyond." Wouldn't you like to know what he takes? He does not tell us what product(s) he takes but he does tell us in his book "The Antioxidant Miracle" about the 5 key antioxidants that work synergisticaly in the body which he calls the antioxidant network. To read more about this antioxidant complex click here: Antioxidant Complex Natural Antioxidant Supplement
It may come as a surprise to you, as it did to me, that some supplements that include high doses of a single antioxidant or combined with a few others can be harmful or ineffective. The doses in many supplements are usually much higher that what is found in fruits and vegetables. A single antioxidant does not function independent of other nutrients. An isolated nutrient is missing other key nutrients that enhance the way the body will utilize it. Whole foods offer other compounds or co-factors that help with the way the body absorbs and utilizes all the nutrients, including the antioxidant.
In choosing a supplement look for: 1) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification. Soon every company in the United States will be required to comply with these regulations that ensures product quality and value. To read more about GMP click here: Good Manufacturing Practices 2) Whole foods rather than synthetic. 3) Food combinations that are synergistic, but not pro-oxidative. 4) Supplements that include lipid and water soluble antioxidants. If you are interested in knowing more about a supplement that we take that meets these standards, closely resembles food, and was found to increase a blood serum marker of oxidative protection by 37.4% you may contact me by filling out this form. For More Information: Didn't find what you were looking for? Search this site by typing in a keyword and the results will be displayed below: Loading Go from Antioxidant Supplements to Macular Degeneration Antioxidants
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