Antioxidant Chart

Free radicals, antioxidants protect against free radicals (oxygen radicals), which is the residue formed during metabolism. The free radicals exist naturally in the body and the vital oxygen we breath is needed to create them. The free radicals have an odd number of electrons and is strongly inclined to cause reactions. A surplus of radicals can damage the body. Our body then oxidizes from the inside and ages faster that way. We also have a certain need of free radicals. They fight fungi, bacteria and viruses and are good for the immune system, but in its negative form the radicals attack the DNA and is considered even be able to cause cancer. Radicals are considered to accelerate the aging process and be able to cause a lot of diseases such as: allergies, rheumatism, arthritis, diabetes, premature gray hair, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s and so on.

The free radicals increases sharply during stress, and if you have toxins in the form of heavy metals stored in the body. Heavy metals are minerals that the body has no need of and that the body has asurplus of. It is considered a significant risk to have those when they are not organically tied in the body but flowing freely as ionic metals. Examples of heavy metals are mercury, lead, but could also include iron, copper and zinc, when these are not organically bound in the body and flowing freely as ionic metals. Knowledge of these heavy metal’s negative impact is relatively new and not fully accepted by all. Deep-fried food, alcohol, air pollution and chemicals of various kinds are also sources of free radicals. Heavily chlorinated water, exhaust fumes and tobacco also contains high levels of oxygen radicals.

The free radicals which has a deficit of electrons becomes positively charged. This also means that they seem acidic on the body when they received a lower pH. For example, the hydrogen atom consists of an electron and a proton when it is in balance, it has the name H. If it would lose its negatively charged electron, it would be called H+, which is a positively charged hydrogen ion. This is acidic and corrosive to the body, and makes the body oxidize, rust from the inside. The more free hydrogen ions that are positive the worse it becomes. Electrons have the ability that they want to work in pairs around an atom, and if a imbalance occurs, they try to take an electron from another atom or molecular compound, thus resulting imbalance there instead. This can lead to a long chain reaction in which free radicals are formed and in the end can lead to damaged cells and mutations occurring, which is a breeding ground for cancer and other malignant diseases. Antioxidants have the ability to release their electrons without the need to be compensated with new electrons. In this way they can neutralize free radicals.

It is possible to neutralize the body against free radicals. There are several factors that influence how much free radicals our bodies have. If we have a metabolism that works normally, eat good food and live a healthy and positive life, the body has an ability to keep the balance of free radicals at a normal level. It is when an imbalance is caused that something must be done. Eat food containing antioxidants, eat food that is more alkaline, avoid stress (impairs metabolism), eat and sleep at regular times. Avoid polluted air, alcohol and cigarettes that creates free radicals, drink healthy and clean water continuously, perform a physical treatment if necessary. Physical training is good and secrete excess acid from the body through perspiration.

To undergo a physical cleaning, and trying to clean up the body from heavy metals is important if an imbalance in favor of the free radicals. Heavy metals bound by the diet that is more alkaline. Mental and psychological health creates a good basis for the body’s self-regulation of free radicals. Indigestion generally means that you do not produce enough of the amino acids of the protein you eat, bad protein metabolism. The amino acids bind free radicals and because of that neutralize heavy metals. Instead of being toxic, minerals such as iron, zinc and calcium can be a part of the metabolism and do some good for the body, while heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium can be bound and taken care of and cleansed out out of the body.