what are antioxidants?

Question

what are they good for? and what exactly do they do for us?

Answer 1

Well, there are all these things in your body that you get from food. They damage cells. They are called "free-radicals". What they are is basically atoms that dont belong anywhere, so they body with atoms in your cells and destroy the cells yadda yadda. This is called oxidation. Free radicals are thought to cause aging and several diseases.

Antioxidents are basically molecules that bond with these free radicals in such a way that they dont harm cells.


The more antioxidents you have, the less free radicals you have, and the less cells are damaged.

Answer 2

An antioxidant is a chemical that reduces the rate of particular oxidation reactions in a specific context, where oxidation reactions are chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent, this generally results in different chemicals to the original ones.

Antioxidants are particularly important in the context of organic chemistry and biology. All living organisms maintain a reducing environment inside their cells, all cells contain complex systems of antioxidants to prevent chemical damage to the cells' components by oxidation. These antioxidants include glutathione and ascorbic acid and are substrates for enzymes such as peroxidases and oxidoreductases.

Antioxidants are widely used as ingredients in dietary supplements used for health purposes such as preventing cancer and heart disease. Studies have suggested antioxidant supplements has benefits for health, but several large clinical trials did not demonstrate a definite benefit for the formulations tested, and excess supplementation may even be harmful.

Dietary supplementation has few specific antioxidants compared to a broad diet rich in phytonutrients, which will yield thousands of different polyphenol antioxidants available for metabolism.

Answer 3

This answer seemed a little more down to earth
Antioxidant is a classification of several organic substances, including vitamins C and E, vitamin A (which is converted from beta-carotene), selenium (a mineral), and a group known as the carotenoids. Carotenoids, of which beta- carotene is the most popular, are a pigment that adds color to many fruits and vegetables -- without them, carrots wouldn't be orange, for example. Together as antioxidants, these substances are thought to be effective in helping to prevent cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
At the molecular and cellular levels, antioxidants serve to deactivate certain particles called free radicals. In humans, free radicals usually come in the form of O2, the oxygen molecule. The oxygen molecule wants to be oxidized (remember that stuff from your chemistry class?), and this oxidation process can sometimes be carcinogenic. Free radicals are the natural by-products of many processes within and among cells. They are also created by exposure to various environmental factors, tobacco smoke and radiation, for instance.

Answer 4

Antioxidants are chemicals that reduce oxidative damage to cells and biomolecules. Researchers have found a high correlation between oxidative damage and the occurrence of disease.[citation needed] For example, low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation is associated with cardiovascular disease. The process leading to atherogenesis, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease is complex, involving multiple chemical pathways and networks, but the precursor is LDL oxidation by free radicals, resulting in inflammation and formation of plaques.

Research suggests that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemicals from free radicals.[citation needed] This may slow down, prevent, or even reverse certain diseases that result from cellular damage, and perhaps even slow down the natural aging process. This is the basis for the free-radical theory of aging.

Answer 5

They all gave excellent and accurate definitions of antioxidants. I want to add something to what they said.

Vitamin E is the best (natural) antioxidant.

It's found in avacadoes, pomegranates and nuts.

It prevents wrinkles by "eating up" the free radicals floating around the body.