We find the label 'contains natural antioxidants' in many of the products we consume in our day to day. The first thing that comes to mind are benefits, we think that they help us to take care of our body or make us healthier, however, do you really know how they act?
Today in Medciencia we bring you the properties and functioning of these foods to your knowledge; Do not miss the potential of these products!
Nature's Bounty Co Q-10 100mg Plus (with L carnitine), 60 Softgels
How do they work?
Antioxidants play a very important role in the fight against diseases such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease, because it manages to stabilize a series of compounds known as free radicals.
What are these free radicals? They are chemical species, resulting mainly from the oxidation produced by oxygen in the cells of our organism. Having an orbital with an unpaired electron are highly reactive, so they react with nearby cellular structures altering their structure and function.
How does the organism defend itself against the radicals? The main defense mechanism is in the hands of enzymatic compounds, such as superoxide dismutase, which 'sequesters' the reactive oxygen species. When these antioxidant systems fail to stop the action of free radicals, it is the turn of another type of compounds, among which are vitamins, selenium and glutathione (which probably sound more).
What happens if free radicals overcome defenses? Our body still has an ace in the sleeve, because it has various mechanisms for the repair of cell damage caused by radicals, among which we find ligases, polymerases, nucleases, proteinases and phospholipases . If it is not possible to repair all the damage, it could lead to the diseases described above.
How do we incorporate antioxidants?
We will ask ourselves if we are taking enough antioxidants in our diet, or if we need to incorporate them through supplements, and without the help of a nutritionist the decision we make will not be the right one.
An excess of these vitamin complexes can have toxicity in the body , limiting our metabolism or causing severe damage. Some examples are:
- Vitamin B3 : in excess produces vasodilatation, massive use of muscle glycogen or decrease in serum lipids.
- Vitamin B9 : also known as folic acid, in excess it produces a precipitation of it in the kidney, producing the hypertrophy of the organ.
- Vitamin D : probably the one that most sounds to you. It can produce hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria, which leads to the formation of calcium deposits in the soft tissues and irreversible renal and cadiovascular damage.
Being already aware of the problem that can lead to ignorance of the amount that we must take these supplements, everything suggests that the best way to introduce antioxidants in our diet is in fruits and vegetables. Recommending the Mediterranean diet , as well as having a large amount of vitamins (especially in fruits) has a large number of chemical compounds with excellent properties for your health.