Energy and Red Antioxidants

Red antioxidants: why consume them?

The antioxidants – vitamins, trace elements and micronutrients - are substances that protect the body against damage caused by free radicals. Resulting from the breakdown of oxygen, free radicals exist naturally in our bodies.

However, various substances present in the environment such as pollution, tobacco, UV rays, chemicals, combustion fumes, ultraviolet rays from the sun and radiation are precursors of free radicals just like certain lifestyle habits, such as tobacco use, alcohol and stress.

An increase in free radicals means premature aging of our cells and a breeding ground for the development of certain diseases, including:

• arthritis, the asthma, the Cancer, cataract, heart disease, the joint disorders, atherosclerosis.

Antioxidants interfere with the activity of these free radicals by preventing them from attacking our cells.
The main natural antioxidants are:

• bioflavonoids, carotenoids, polyphenols, vitamins C and E, the zinc and selenium.

The best of the red antioxidants would be lycopene, which belongs to the carotenoid family, which is a red pigment found especially in tomatoes.

And why has nature provided us with so many different antioxidants?
Because they don't all operate in the same way or in the same place.

Water-soluble antioxidants, such as vitamin C for example, act mainly in the blood plasma.

For their part, fat-soluble antioxidants, such as vitamin E and beta-carotene, mainly protect cell membranes and lipoproteins, these substances that transport cholesterol in the blood.

To enjoy a sufficiently comprehensive protection against the harmful action of free radicals, it is necessary to absorb a good variety of antioxidant substances.

Small red fruits such as pomegranates, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries ... are full of antioxidants including beta-carotene and polyphenols, a huge family that includes more than 6,000 molecules (flavonoids, isoflavonoids and anthocyanins among others).

And as our environment is increasingly polluted, our need for antioxidants continues to increase.