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Every day our body faces attacks from cell-damaging forces known as free radicals. Free radicals are nothing but unstable oxygen molecule that has lost an electron through exposure to sunlight, pollution and everyday wear and tear.
Free radical damage causes low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to adhere to artery walls, leading to hardening of the arteries and heart disease. These free radicals cause irreparable damage that is when antioxidants come in. Every time you eat fruits, vegetables, or other antioxidant-rich foods a flood of these compounds enters the bloodstream, thereby offering up their own electrons. This neutralizes the free radicals and keeps your cells out from the harmful effect.
Our body as such produces free radicals and it also produces antioxidants. Focus on three nutrients: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Beta Carotene.
Vitamin C
Also known as Ascorbic acid. Getting lots of Vitamin C in your diet helps to protect against damage in many of your body’s fluid-filled areas such as the heart, arteries, and eyes. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, broccoli, Indian gooseberry, drumstick leaves, etc. While cooking this vitamin generally is lost so do not overcook the vegetables which are rich in Vitamin C.
Vitamin E
Also known as alpha tocopherols. It protects your fat tissues from free radical invasions. Vitamin E dissolves in fat and plays an important role in keeping your bad LDL cholesterol from oxidation and sticking to artery walls. Getting enough Vitamin E in the diet is mainly through vegetable cooking oils and sunflower seeds.
Getting enough of Vitamin E in the diet can help to keep blood flowing smoothly through those arteries. It works more efficiently when combined with Vitamin C. Visit Manipal, the best nutrition and dietetics hospital in Mangalore to know more about the combinations.
Beta Carotene
A red-yellow food pigment that turns to Vitamin A in the body. Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes may be considered as more potent than beta carotene in the battle against cancer.
Carrots have high levels of carotenoids have 1/3rd to ½ the risk of macular degeneration. Fill your vegetable bags with carotenoid-rich foods like spinach, dark leafy vegetables, deep orange fruits and vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot and cantaloupe.
Although Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Beta carotene are the best antioxidants they are only a small part of protective compounds, zinc and selenium also act as potent antioxidants. So also compounds of green tea and flavanoids in red wine.
Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables ensures you get a healthy amount of antioxidants. Try getting most of the antioxidants naturally rather than through supplements. You can take the advice of the best nutritionists in Mangalore also for your diet.
Aruna Mallya
KMC Hospital Ambedkar Circle, Mangaluru
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