Consuming Antioxidants Can Improve Health

A number of health specialists are advocating veggies and fruits to be included in a regular diet plan. There are a lot of beneficial reasons to the recommendation, but one of the reasons is definitely the antioxidants that almost all vegetables and fruits offer. But exactly what are antioxidants? What makes them extremely important?

Process of oxidation exists in all places from slice of pear turning brown to rust on a metal pipe. This is a natural activity that also occurs in a body. Our body system generally controls oxidation well, but at times it causes cell damage. The damaged cells are referred to as free radicals, molecules with unpaired electron. Since it is unpaired, it will try to steal an electron from other molecules. Anytime this effect gets extreme, it may lead to various health threats most notably cancer, heart problems and arthritis. Pollution, radiation and cigarette smoke add up to the development of free radicals as well. Antioxidants are compounds that counteract free radicals.

By supplying an electron to free radicals, antioxidants protect against cell damage. It is vital to have foods that provide antioxidants regularly to stay in a healthy condition. Many vegetables and fruits are a great supply of antioxidants thanks to vitamins C and E. These vitamins are acknowledged to be among the best antioxidants. Veggies and fruits such as strawberry, kiwi, papaya, spinach, bell pepper, and broccoli are a wonderful supply of vitamin E and C. However these vitamins are not the only source of antioxidants and in reality they are certainly not the best source.

More and more dieticians agree with the fact that Epigallocatechin or generally known as EGCG may be a better supply of antioxidants compared to vitamins E and C. Most researchers agree that EGCG is 100 times more efficient than vitamin C and 25 times more beneficial compared to vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals. EGCG is a compound contained in tea. Many of the acknowledged green tea extract positive effects include preventions against depression, heart disease, cancer, weight gain and bad cholesterol.

There have been a lot of lab tests relating to the effects of green tea on cancer cells. The results indicate the dose of 300mg of EGCG each day to be the ideal amount. A cup of tea provides around 100mg of EGCG. More experiments are in the process, yet as for right now 3 cups per day seems to be a good amount.

Currently there are several ways to take green tea. Common way is to make and to drink the tea. This is good especially if consumed with a meal. Another preferred way is to mix green tea extract powder with lemon water. Combining citrus juice with EGCG has been identified to boost the positive effects. A practical way is to consume tea tablets. This is wonderful for people disliking the taste.