The Importance of Antioxidants

Antioxidants are found in certain types of food and are extremely beneficial to our health. Essentially antioxidants are substances which deactivate particles called free radicals. Free radicals can over time be very harmful to the body and cause damage to cells and DNA. This can lead to certain diseases such as cancer. A diet which is rich in antioxidants has been shown to prevent and protect the body from disease. Therefore getting plenty of antioxidants in our body is very important.

What do Antioxidants do?

Antioxidants act by deactivating, or turning off free radicals. Free radicals are particles which can be very harmful but unfortunately are not entirely avoidable on their own. Free particles come from a variety of sources such as air pollutants and cigarette smoke. Antioxidants work to protect our bodies from these free radicals which can be very damaging.

Types of Antioxidants

Vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and selenium are all antioxidants and vital to a healthy diet and body. These antioxidants are found in many types of vegetables, fruits, and grains, and it is vital that we get the recommend amounts in our diets. If you aren’t getting the daily recommended amounts you should supplement with a multi-vitamin. However, never rely on a supplement for all your antioxidant needs since there is no proper substitute for the real thing.

Foods Containing Antioxidants

Luckily there are many varieties of foods that contain the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and beta-carotene. Be sure to vary your food choices to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that you need:

• Vitamin C is primarily found in citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. Other great sources of vitamin C include tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, yellow peppers, pineapple, and dark green veggies.
• Vitamin E is found in many vegetable oils, nuts, brown rice, legumes, whole grains, and dark leafy green vegetables.
• Selenium is found in some seafood, Brazil nuts, poultry, dairy, whole grains, onions, garlic, and wheat germ.
• Beta-carotene is found in carrots, red and yellow peppers, broccoli, sweet potatoes, mangos, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables. Please note this is not an exhaustive list of food containing antioxidants.

Green Tea Antioxidants

While on the seemingly never ending search for the perfect anti-aging skincare product, the industry seems to be making a shift away from the engineered and towards the natural. Skincare products made with green tea are hitting shelves and women everywhere are experiencing the amazing benefits this simple plant offers. Green tea is good for your skin thanks to the many anti-aging antioxidants it contains.

Anti aging products seem to come in all shapes and sizes these days, with everything from retinol to vitamin C being touted as the answer to all our aging woes. However, cultures that have known the benefits of green tea have lower occurrences of certain cancers and seem to age later on in life. Green tea isn’t just for tea time anymore; it’s one of the best anti-aging products to emerge in recent years.

We’ve all heard about the amazing benefits of green tea for our bodies, inside and out. But very few of us know what the properties of green tea are that makes it so good for us. Polyphenols are the secret anti-aging ingredient, as they have been proven to eliminate free radicals. This is a skincare breakthrough that some have likened to the fountain of youth.

The polyphenols in green tea do much more than just fight free radical damage, they have recently been shown to actually prolong the life of cells which helps to slow down the process of premature aging. When science combines with natural products the result is skincare products that can turn back time. This isn’t your mother’s anti-aging product!

Extracts of green tea have been used in anti aging products for years. These powerful extracts have been an important part of any preventative skincare regimen. However new research into specific polyphenols has shown that green tea skincare products can actually help skin cells to be rejuvenated. These newly energized skin cells have a longer life which in turn slows the aging process and even repairs damage already done to skin. Green tea skincare products may just be the anti-aging fountain of youth!

Ingredients in many anti-aging products are often unpronounceable and seem to do nothing more than confuse consumers. While any skincare products will have some technical ingredients, many consumers enjoy buying and using something that is familiar to them. Anti-aging products that contain ingredients that are naturally good for you, such as green tea, are becoming increasingly popular.

While skincare products that you topically apply to your skin are important to the anti-aging fight, what you put into your mouth is important as well. Many skin care companies are marketing anti aging vitamins that can help your skin from the inside out. Green tea has also been shown to be beneficial to not only utilize as a skincare product but to drink as well. Green tea truly is a powerful agent in the fight against aging.

As youth becomes more of a hot commodity as it ever was, science searches for new and innovative ways to help us look younger, longer. Many miracle skincare products have been unveiled throughout the years but nothing ever seemed to be the anti-aging cure we were looking for. While aging is inevitable, many women and men deal with premature aging, thanks to the many environmental factors, and our lifestyles as well. By adding green tea not only to your diet but to your skincare regimen as well, we may be able to help turn back the clocks just a little bit.