Someone who is looking to improve or maintain their overall health by adding a vitamin or supplement, will likely find a very long antioxidant supplements list.
To explain antioxidants in simple terms, your body naturally produces free radicals that can lead to cell damage, but antioxidants are molecules that can block this process.
These powerful substances, the three major ones being beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E, can come from eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
When someone is concerned they don’t eat enough of these foods, they might look to an antioxidant supplement.
Vitamin C, and vitamin E, can come from eating fresh fruits and vegetables
Adding Supplements: Is an Antioxidant Supplement Right for You?
Most adults suffer from a tired, sluggish, unmotivated feeling. Antioxidants can provide the nutrition your body is lacking from diet alone, to boost your immune system and energy level.
Those who have decided to take an active role to improve their overall health often add an antioxidant, because busy people often don’t have the time it takes to ensure every single vitamin and mineral is covered every day.
In addition, eating these healthy foods can be costly and they expire quickly, thus adding to the time spent looking for and purchasing these foods.
Along with antioxidant supplements, don’t dismiss those usual routines that should be a daily priority to improve overall wellness: exercise, plenty of water, and eating healthy foods.
Antioxidant Supplements vs. Natural Consumption
Antioxidants occur naturally in most of the fruits and vegetables we eat.
When looking to add vitamins through foods with antioxidants, look for colorful fruits and vegetables, especially those with purple, blue, red, orange, and yellow hues.
Those that have been proven to contain the most antioxidants are:
Prunes and plums (extremely high)
Raisins and grapes
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Oranges
So, here comes the bad news about supplements; don’t go overboard. Those free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) are bad for you in excess, but a certain amount is needed to balance the immune system.
They actually have the ability to attack the invading microbes and cells that could divide, multiply, and become cancerous.
For example, abnormally high doses of beta-carotene are not good for those who smoke, and men who take too much vitamin E, can increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.
The dangerously high amounts of these vitamins won’t be found in foods, only in supplements.
The takeaway is that we need antioxidants, but they can be provided with diet, especially if you choose foods from the list above.
However, if you are feeling like you’re deficient, a supplement may be a logical solution for you. Keep in mind that there is such a thing as too much.
We need to balance the amount of ROS and antioxidants, so that our body can do its jobs of defending itself against diseases and healing properly.
When looking through the antioxidant supplements list, look for safe, balanced levels.
Antioxidant Supplement Summary
In our society, it often happens that a claim or discovery is made, and when the word is spread, some will ignore it, some will change their life to an extreme level, and those who benefit the most will become educated about it before making changes.
Then, they’ll do so in healthy moderation. Sometimes, we need to wait until even more information is available.
In this case, we may be doing more harm than good when antioxidants are added to our bodies through supplements.
We do know that you aren’t going to overconsume antioxidants through healthy fruits and vegetables, so they are the safest way to ensure you have a healthy amount to fight diseases and maintain a balanced immune system. They will even help raise your energy level. Read more about this on other Websites About Healthy Fruits.
There are, however, certain circumstances in which someone may have a special situation, requiring additional antioxidants in their diet.
For the most part, however, don’t let the media, or the companies whose products are on the antioxidant supplements list, scare you into adding an unsafe level to your body.
Perhaps all you need is a multivitamin to make sure there is nothing lacking in your diet.
Do your homework about all of these products, talk to a medical professional, read the labels, and make sure there is a balanced variety of nutrients.
