Antioxidants play an important role in your body, preventing your cells from being damaged by some potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals. As you probably already know, antioxidants can be found in various foods or can be produced in your body as well. The antioxidants produced in your body are called endogenous antioxidants, and those that can be found in foods are known as exogenous antioxidants.
That being said, it is very important to understand how things work in this sense, so: free radicals are associated with many chronic diseases, such as cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and so on.
Nevertheless, according to some medical experts and researchers, free radicals are also an essential part of the immune system, floating through your veins and attacking foreign intruders – but when they accumulate and their numbers increase, they may cause oxidative stress, which can damage your cells, proteins and DNA. However, when the oxidative stress becomes chronic, you will be more likely to develop heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even cancer.
The best part is that you can prevent all of these conditions and complications if you stick to a healthy diet rich in antioxidants. As I said before, antioxidants can help you fight off oxidative stress and reduce your risk of developing other chronic diseases at the same time.
Moreover, there are two categories of factors that can increase the production of free radicals, namely internal factors, such as inflammation in your body; and external factors, such as pollution, working in a toxic environment, UV exposure, and smoking. Antioxidants are not only important to reduce free radicals and inflammation in your body, but they can help improve your overall health.
So, here are some healthy foods high in antioxidants that can help you boost your overall health. Read on for more info!
