Your Smile, and Your Overall Health, Is Under Attack
You can’t tell it right now, but your body is under attack from free radicals.
What are free radicals? To understand that question, you need to know a little bit about the human body.
You already know your body is made of cells, and that cells are made up of molecules, and that molecules are made of atoms. You may also know that every atom is made up of two positive protons and two neutral electrons.
A free radical is an atom that’s lost one of its electrons. In this state, the atom is unstable. Its singular goal becomes stealing an electron from wherever it can find one, and that usually means taking one from another nearby atom, resulting in a chain reaction of electron-stealing known as oxidation.
If this chain reaction is allowed to continue, your health can be negatively impacted. Problems like diabetes, gingivitis, heart attack, and even cancer, have all been linked to free radicals.
What Causes Free Radicals?
Free radicals can be created by a number of things, including your metabolism, stress, poor eating habits, a lack of physical activity, and not enough sleep. Pollution, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption can also play a part.
But through the power of antioxidants, you can combat free radicals and put a stop to oxidation.
How Can Antioxidants Help You Combat Free Radicals?
Antioxidants are essentially molecules that have electrons to spare. By donating one of their extra electrons to a free radical, they’re able to neutralize it. And by doing this, they’re also preserving all those other atoms that could’ve potentially become free radicals too.
Good Sources for Antioxidants
Antioxidants are found naturally in many fruits, vegetables legumes, seeds, nuts and cereals. Some foods particularly strong in antioxidants include berries, broccoli, beans, and garlic. You can also find these helpful molecules in drinks like coffee,green tea, and certain fruit juices.
Are You Getting Enough?
To truly give your body the help is needs, you should be consuming as many as five, seven, or even nine servings of antioxidant-rich foods every day. For some of us, that can mean making dramatic changes to our eating habits, but the benefits for your health will make it all worth it.