It is amazing to think about all of the reactions going on in our body at any given moment. We rarely even feel what is going on with our body, unless it is making us sick somehow. But generally when you put good things in your body and stay active, your body functions better and you feel better.
Antioxidants is a term most people have heard of before. News and magazine articles explain the benefits for fighting inflammation, cancer, diseases, and strengthening our immune system. Antioxidants have a long list of benefits and should be included in your daily diet. But when people hear something is good for you they get the idea that more must be better. But is this always true?
First we should look at what antioxidant molecules really do. Free radicals are molecules in the body that contain an unpaired electron in their outer orbital. I know, you didn't think you were going to have to know chemistry to read this post. Don't worry I will keep it simple. Just know that when a molecule has an unpaired electron like this, they are highly reactive and can interact with cellular components, which causes damage to proteins, cell membranes, and DNA. This damage that free radicals cause can lead to increased aging of the body and diseases.
Antioxidants can fight this damage by binding with free radicals so they can no longer do harm. Our body's can create antioxidants and we get them in with our diet. We want a combination of these two types of antioxidants. Here is a small list of foods high in antioxidants:
First we should look at what antioxidant molecules really do. Free radicals are molecules in the body that contain an unpaired electron in their outer orbital. I know, you didn't think you were going to have to know chemistry to read this post. Don't worry I will keep it simple. Just know that when a molecule has an unpaired electron like this, they are highly reactive and can interact with cellular components, which causes damage to proteins, cell membranes, and DNA. This damage that free radicals cause can lead to increased aging of the body and diseases.
Antioxidants can fight this damage by binding with free radicals so they can no longer do harm. Our body's can create antioxidants and we get them in with our diet. We want a combination of these two types of antioxidants. Here is a small list of foods high in antioxidants:
- Red Kidney Beans
- Wild Blueberry
- Pinto Beans
- Cranberries
- Artichoke
- Prunes
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Black Beans
- Gala apples
So where do free radicals come from? Free radicals come from a variety of places. They can develop from radiation from the sun, outside toxins in the environment like smoke or even the food/water we drink. We also produce free radicals in the body.
That might sound weird that our body produces something that damages cells in the body. One event that causes free radical production is muscle contraction. So when you workout, you guessed it, you are increasing free radicals in your body. So when you exercise and free radicals increase we use the antioxidants our body produces plus the ones we ingest to fight against this.
So many believe taking antioxidants is crucial when exercising. You might see someone take high doses of Vitamin C or E to fight the increasing free radicals. This makes sense but researchers are now realizing that there is a specific reason free radical production increases with exercise. It is sending a signal to the body that muscle are being stressed and the result of the reaction leads to the benefits we see of exercising like stronger and more conditioned muscles. High free radicals itself is a signal for the body to start producing more antioxidants and proteins build stronger muscles. When high doses of antioxidants are taken it blocks this signal and decreases the effectiveness of exercise.
Again it amazing what these tiny molecules and reactions do in our body without us realizing it. The take home message is antioxidants are good. You should consume foods that are high in antioxidants daily. But like most things I write about more is not always better. If you don't eat foods high in antioxidants regularly you might want to take a supplement but that doesn't mean you should go crazy with the dosage. With Vitamin E 400iu and Vitamin C 1000iu would be considered a high dose.
You Stay Healthy San Diego,
Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
