Antioxidants: Helping Our Bodies
As I continue expanding on the skincare revolution, today, I decided to focus on antioxidants. A lot is known about them and their role in many functions of our bodies. Most notably, antioxidants are known for their help protecting our bodies from free radicals. They do this by giving off an electron that will attach to the free radical chain, thus breaking the reaction. They come in different forms from vitamins, minerals, amino acids, hormones to enzymes. For example, a few nights ago I was extremely tired and took some melatonin. I ended up sleeping about eight hours straight, more than my usual six. I also gave melatonin to a friend that was recovering from too much partying…I love melatonin.
Among my favorites are glutathione and superoxide dismutase, which are made by our bodies. These help to prevent oxidative stress (I wrote about this a few months ago). They protect mitochondria from premature death. Mitochondria are key in our bodies and affect overall health including our skin. Some skin manifestations of mitochondria damage are hair abnormalities, changes in pigmentation, rashes, autoimmune disease and inflammation. By the way, exercise too will support mitochondria. Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables with antioxidants such as omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium, CoQ10, alpha lipoid acid, b-complex vitamins, among others, are key to mitochondrial health.
As you know, many of us are deficient in many key vitamins and minerals that are key to the way our bodies function. Overeating as well as late night are not ideal, since the body is functioning at low metabolic rates in those cases. Next time you go grocery shopping, make sure you include those carrots, tomatoes , avocados, and nuts in your list.
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