What are Antioxidants and Why Do we need them?
We are often told that a food is good for us due to the fact that it contains antioxidants . These naturally occurring compounds are thought to offer preventative effects for disease so what exactly are they and how can we get them in our diet? What are antioxidants? Antioxidants are compounds which inhibit oxidation in the body or in foods. Oxidation is a chemical process which involves the transfer of electrons or hydrogen producing harmful free radicals in the body. These destructive substances can cause cell damage or death in the body through altering DNA, which can in turn lead to development of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, due to cellular mutations. External factors such as cigarette smoke , air pollution and excessive alcohol consumption can all lead to production of free radicals and are therefore harmful to the body. Antioxidants help to stop the damage done by free radicals and therefore may be effective in reduci...