Everybody is talking about anti-oxidants, but what are they? What do they do?

If you start at the beginning and break the word down – 'anti' means 'opposed to', but what is it these agents are opposed to?

Inside your body there are numerous events occurring all the time, all of which require oxygen. As a bi-product of this, the oxygen used can create harmful effects (called oxidant substances), which cause cell damage.

These oxidants are often called ‘Free Radicals’ (another term commonly bandied about). They are introduced via external sources, such as the sun or general pollution. Even things such as stress can have an effect.

A good analogy of how oxidation inside the body causes cells to breakdown is the effect oxidation also has on inanimate objects. You will commonly see the eroding effect the oxidation has on these objects, with the outbreak of rust a common feature.

From this we can work out that antioxidants are agents that reduce the harmful effects of oxidants. They do this by bonding with the harmful oxidants, which decreases their power. They also help to repair damage already sustained by cells. Some anti-oxidants are produced naturally within the body. Glutathione, for example, is a detoxifying agent, which binds with different toxins to change their form so that they are able to leave the body as waste.

Other anti-oxidants are found in foods, such as green vegetables. These are high in Vitamin A, C, E and Beta Carotene. A general rule of thumb is that the stronger colours are the healthiest – oranges or carrots are good examples. Raw fruits and vegetables produce the highest concentration and absorption of anti-oxidants.

Unfortunately, in today’s society it is inevitable that a large majority of us do not sustain a healthy diet and as a consequence we do not take in a required level of anti-oxidants and our health suffers. Therefore supplementary medicines play a vital role for many of us.

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