Category Archives: anti oxidant

I have always entertained a hint of confusion about free radicals and antioxidants. For one thing they are counterintuitive. Free is good normally and anti is against. Yet, we need antioxidants and don’t want free radical accumulation. What’s up with that?

So, I was most pleased to run across the following informed discussion of that very subject in The Conversation.

The holiday season is in full swing, and with it comes time for family celebration while gathering around tables full of delicious foods with seasonal spices! But it can also be a stressful time of year, with substantial meal preparation as well as stress in the gut from digesting highly caloric and rich foods. Your food choices can help reduce stress in your body.

Traditional holiday meals are laden with salt, fat and sugar, which can spike blood glucose and insulin levels when eaten in excess all in one day. They also, alas, can increase the amount of free radicals, or molecules with unattached electrons, in the body, which can do serious cellular damage.

We hear a lot about antioxidants, and we are encouraged to eat foods that are rich in them. But what exactly are they, and why do we need them? As a researcher who examines cellular damage, I will explain the oxidative process and why it’s important to curb it. Continue reading →