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What Are Free Radicals?

We’ve all heard many times about free radicals and how oxidative stress has an impact and unbalances our entire body, but you may not know what they are and unconsciously you live with all its harmful effects on your health daily.

1. What are free radicals

Free radicals are unstable and ¨highly reactive molecules¨ that have been separated from their natural partner and are looking for a replacement with which to join, in other words, they are atoms with a free or unpaired electron.

They are formed just by the oxygen we breathe in entering our body, whenever we are stressed, by exposing ourselves to toxins such as tobacco and pollution, ultraviolet light in inadequate hours, or even eating a poor diet, resulting in oxidation.

Normally about 95% of oxygen is used by our cells to produce energy, but what about the rest? well, the rest is the one that generates ¨free radicals¨ that can damage our organism unbalancing our defense system.

And the curious thing is that in athletes this process is accentuated even more since when activated, it´s consumed up to 20 times more oxygen than in normal situations.

And if you wonder why, the reason behind this is that high oxygen consumption produces an excess of free radicals in our body, in other words, ¨oxidative stress occurs¨, which is a major threat to our health. Because functions decrease with the physical activity, the body cannot burn all the oxygen that isn´t metabolized turning into free radicals…

So the point here is to realize that free radicals are formed continuously in our daily lives even when exercising, hence being essential to know how we can prevent and neutralize them to avoid negative health effects.

2. Prevent damage

From the age of 30 onward and with our lifestyle is when there is a significant imbalance of oxidative stress in our body, as the natural antioxidants that our body manufactures fail to counteract the action of free radicals, and what happens is that such an imbalance will contribute to affect our health in a short or a long term.

Then as the saying says: “Prevention is the cure“ to alleviate oxidative stress by being of paramount importance as scientific studies corroborate for years.

How can we help our body prevent free radical damage daily and economically and effectively? The easiest way is by taking antioxidants through our daily diet and definitely within a holistic lifestyle.

3. Antioxidants = Natural anti-aging ingredient

They are said to be the best natural anti-aging ingredient due to containing substances that help to delay and prevent cellular damage in the body, as well as helping defend the body from oxidative stress from harmful free radicals.

Antioxidants are found mainly in fruits and vegetables with studied evidence that consuming them within a rich diet provides general health benefits, although I would like to point out a list of antioxidant foods that will help you combat the aging process by protecting our collagen, elastin, and DNA in our cells:

4. Foods with antioxidants

Among some of the foods to consider when going shopping:

4.1 Fruits

Red fruits: Blueberries are one of the foods that stand out for their high antioxidant content (anthocyanins) from the flavonoid family. Also, having fiber, selenium, and vitamin A and E. Some laboratory studies found that antioxidants and some raspberries compounds helped to kill colon, breast, and stomach cancer cells within a test tube. Strawberries have a lot of vitamin C and are rich in minerals, attributing great properties to combating anemia and fighting diseases related to intestinal transit.
Goji berries: have become a fashionable fruit nowadays. Scientists found that they are one of the most nutritional and dense berries in the world having 5-10 times more antioxidants levels than blueberries
Gooseberries: are a source of fiber and high vitamin C content
Oranges: are rich in vitamin C with a cardioprotective effect.
Bananas: have high fiber content, carotene, beta complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, with a cardioprotective and vasodilation effect
Avocado: has antioxidant and micronutrient substances such as phosphorus, magnesium, folic acid, and potassium

I invite you to consider drinking those antioxidants by Juicing them in a Juicer Machine to get all the benefits!

4.2 Vegetables and other foods

Spinach: a green vegetable is full of antioxidants such as flavonoids and carotenoids, and vitamins such as A, C, E, K plus group B vitamins (B6, B2, and B1), and folic acid (B9)
Onion: Rich in potassium phosphorus and magnesium. It also contains zinc and vitamin C
Zucchini: vitamins C, and group B
Almonds: contain magnesium, selenium, manganese, calcium, and iron
Cashews: the vast majority of nuts are rich in vitamin E and B.
Chia seeds: phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. They are considered a superfood
Pure cocoa: thanks to its polyphenols being a great ally against cellular oxidation
Cinnamon: it has anti-inflammatory power pus, in addition, helps to reduce abdominal fat.
Extra virgin olive oil: is a must in our kitchen having oleic acid, phenolic compounds, and vitamins

Although I have mentioned different foods with high antioxidants content, we shouldn´t forget others such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and yeasts with less known natural antioxidants. I am sure that there is more than one that is among your favorite foods within this list of antioxidant foods. So don’t forget to take them!

And if our body is 70% water. Don´t you think is crucial to consider water as an antioxidant?

5. Waters

Alkaline and ionized water is one of the most effective antioxidants due to having a lower molecular weight compared to other antioxidants that are heavier, which would slow down when taking them.

Many laboratories have been researching for years to get the ideal product to combat the effects of oxidative stress and its impact on many diseases.

I invite you to do something very easy, in addition to including in your diet foods with high antioxidant content, try to drink ionized, hydrogenated water, since in this way you can provide your body more antioxidants than any other technology due to the phytochemical qualities.

We must understand that our body quickly gets rid of antioxidants, transported by water as soon as it comes into contact with it. that’s why I propose giving yourself an Alkanatur ´s jug and filter gift because thanks to its patented technology get these antioxidants to reach the areas affected by the damage of free radicals.

So I don’t know what you’re waiting for!

I hope you enjoyed this article, and if you have any questions, you can ask me anytime.

Have a beautiful day!

Love always,

Mónica :-))