The Antioxidant Trap: What Should You Eat to Slow Down Aging?

Free oxygen radicals are real killers of youth. By damaging cells, they cause not only aging, but also many diseases. Only antioxidants can cope with free radicals. We suggest which products contain the most of them.
"Radical" listNormally, the human body contains a certain amount of free radicals, clarifies Elena Chepeleva, a hygienist at the sanitary and epidemiological department of the State Institution "Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Leninsky District of Minsk". Without these particles, such vital processes as breathing, metabolism and the destruction of foreign bacteria would be impossible. But when there are too many free radicals, they begin to interact not only with the necessary molecules, but with everything in a row.

- For example, with lipids - an important component of cell membranes. As a result, the cells are damaged, their work is disrupted . Free radicals can also penetrate the hereditary apparatus of the cell - DNA. But it controls literally all processes in the body! DNA damage can result in disruptions in hormone production, digestion processes, loss of control over cell growth and division, which can lead to the development of tumors, explains Elena Nikolaevna.

The older a person gets, the more the activity of free oxygen radicals increases in their body and the list of diseases caused by them increases. It includes autoimmune diseases, coronary heart disease , premature aging, retinal diseases, collagenoses, arthritis, cancer, Parkinson's disease, senile dementia and others.
- Free radicals enter the body in different ways. They penetrate the lungs with air saturated with exhaust gases, tobacco smoke or tiny particles of asbestos dust. Radicals also get to us through X-rays and infrared rays, with the consumption of low-quality oil, fried MEAT, some medications, alcoholic beverages, vegetables treated with pesticides, - the DOCTOR explains.
Antioxidant trapThe human body has developed a whole system to combat "youth killers." For example, the ability to track any DNA damage and restore it. And the normal intestinal microflorabacteria break down biochemical substances that can give rise to free radicals.

- A kind of "trap" for free radicals is the antioxidant system of the body. Data from numerous studies prove that of the many antioxidants contained in food products and enhancing the body's defense against aging and a number of pathological conditions, vitamins A, C, E and the trace element selenium are especially important, - says Elena Chepeleva.

Vegetables, berries and fruits are rich in these substances . For example, blueberries contain vitamins A and C, as well as flavonoids. Garlic contains many antioxidants, which also helps fight the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, lowers blood pressure, kills bacteria and removes lead from the body. By the way, according to the latest scientific data, garlic protects not only against coronary heart disease, but also against the formation of tumor cells.
- Some antioxidants, such as zinc and selenium, are difficult to obtain from food in sufficient quantities. Oysters contain a lot of zinc, but for us it is a delicacy. Much less zinc is contained in blueberries, pumpkin seeds and oatmeal, which are more accessible to Belarusians, - the expert suggests. - To provide the body with selenium, you need to introduce coconut, pistachios, lard and garlic into your diet. The list of products rich in antioxidants can also be supplemented with broccoli, greens, green beans, strawberries, pomegranate, citrus fruits, walnuts, prunes. I would like to note that selenium comes into products only from the soil, and in our country it is depleted in this microelement. Therefore, there is not much selenium in MILK

, meat, vegetables and fruits of domestic production. The doctor draws attention to the fact that "antioxidant" products will be most useful only if the rules for their storage and preparation are observed:

- Greens, vegetables and fruits should be washed with running cold water, without soaking them for more than 10 minutes. Ready-made salads should be seasoned with vegetable oil only before serving . By the way, vegetable oils that contain a lot of vitamin E should not be stored in the light - this destroys antioxidants. And in general, it is better to keep foods rich in such vitamins away from sunlight, - recommends a hygienist. - You should cut the skin off vegetables and fruits as thinly as possible, because it contains the most vitamins and microelements. By the way, it is much healthier to eat fruits, berries, vegetables, seeds and nuts raw. The worst enemy of antioxidants is long-term heat treatment, especially frying. It is better to bake the dish or steam it.

To enrich the diet with antioxidants, it is imperative to include fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries and leafy greens in sufficient quantities in the menu.

| Elena IVASHKO, newspaper "7 days". Photo from open Internet sources.

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