What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidant.  You’ve heard that word.  You’ve seen it.  You’ve probably used it.  So, what are antioxidants?

 Antioxidants are substances that prevent other substances from going through oxidization.  Oxidization, from a chemistry perspective, is the loss of electrons; from an everyday perspective oxidization means rusting.  Antioxidants, therefore, are what turn rust susceptible metal into galvanized steel.  

Our bodies also undergo oxidization.  In fact, it has been argued that all diseases are actually caused by oxidative damage.  Oxidization occurs naturally, however, conditions can increase or decrease how fast it occurs.  Going back to our example of the piece of metal, if you leave it untreated out in the rain it will rust quickly.  If, on the other hand, you paint it with a protective coating and keep it dry it will take a long time to rust.

What increases oxidization in our bodies?

Free-radical damage.  Free radical damage increases when we smoke cigarettes, eat fast food, breathe in pollution, etc.  Minimizing our exposure to such things decreases our oxidative stress levels and improves our health.   So far, everything seems pretty straightforward, but here comes a curve.  Exercise causes free radical damage.   Now before you jump to the conclusion that exercise is unhealthy- it isn’t, you need to understand the purpose behind this free radical damage.  The free radical damage associated with strenuous exercise is what enables weaker muscle fibres to break down and be replaced with stronger ones.  The amount of free radical damage done is at a level that your body can counteract, (providing you’re consuming enough antioxidants) and actually use to its advantage.  In the examples of cigarettes and fast food, the oxidative damage is so high that while consuming an abundance of antioxidants will help slow down the destruction, it cannot overcome it.  

What are good sources of antioxidants?

Scientists are constantly discovering new antioxidants in our food.  While taking specific vitamins and antioxidants like resveratrol can be helpful in specific situations, it is preferable to get your antioxidants from whole foods.  In fact, research shows that taking a traditional multi-vitamin can decrease endurance athletes’ performances.  On the other hand, consuming high amounts of fruits and vegetables has been shown to improve their performances.  Some of the best sources of antioxidants are berries, broccoli, heirloom tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and green tea.  Health Canada recommends Canadians consume 5 – 12 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  If you exercise a lot, you’d need to increase this amount to around 16 servings per day.  Greens supplements and food based multi vitamins can help you achieve this amount if you find it difficult to consume that amount of whole food fruits and vegetables.

Are you getting enough antioxidants?

Talk to me about how you can increase the antioxidants in your diet.