Antioxidants Benefits

The subject of antioxidants benefits interests me hugely - perhaps especially in relation to antioxidant skin care - although I'm eager for extra knowledge too about antioxidant foods and fruits.

Firstly, what's so important about antioxidants - and why do we need them both in and on us? Well, when our cells use oxygen (which they are doing constantly even when we just draw a breath, let alone start the digestion process or anything more strenuous) they produce 'free radicals'.

And we add extra free radicals to our bodies whenever we're exposed to pollution of any kind (cigarette smoke being one prime example), fried food, or oxidizing radiation from the sun or electrical appliances. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol also triggers substantial free radical production.

What's wrong with having these free radicals traveling about in us?

Basically, they damage our cells and organs and ultimately our body's delicate chemical balance. And it's thought that extensive damage by them is a factor in the symptoms associated with ageing, such as withering skin, heart disease, arthritis, cancers, memory loss and other distressing conditions.

So clearly we need to do our best to counteract these 'bandit chemicals'!

That's where antioxidants come in. What are they - and how do they work? They are substances or nutrients that can prevent, or at least slow down, oxidative damage to our bodies. They do this by neutralizing free radicals and thereby limiting their potential for harming us.

It makes sense, then, to create and maintain a high antioxidant defence for the sake of good health both for our body and skin.

I mentioned Mother Nature earlier - and, bless her, she gives us a rich store of antioxidant fruits with which to combat free radical attack! Pomegranates have long been known as a premium source of Vitamin C and antioxidants - as have mangosteens, blackcurrants, acerola cherries, pitaya (Dragon Fruit), avocado, plum, prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, oranges and red grapes - to name just a few!

Then there are antioxidant foods such as kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, beets, broccoli florets, red ball peppers, corn, onions and eggplant among many others...

And there are some wonderful supplements in the forms of antioxidant juices and tablets that can give you your antioxidants in a very convenient way. There's even one - Nature's 18 - that contains 18 different fruit and vegetables in a chewable tablet, with just 4 tablets daily providing the antioxidant equivalent of eating 5 servings of fruit and vegetables!!

There isn't the scope here to go into more of Nature's bountiful gifts before we move on to the antioxidant skin care that I mentioned back when I began this article. How about starting your regime by cleansing with a soap made with 100% pure avocado butter?

As well as cleaning your skin you'd be moisturizing it with this powerful fruit's rejuvenating properties. A rich source of vitamins A, B, D and E, avocado also contains antioxidants to help combat free radicals.

Then you might like to progress to an aloe serum containing white tea extracts, mimosa bark extracts and antioxidants. I use such a serum on my face and neck daily to provide protection from free radical damage and preserve and replenish my skin's moisture.

Another product to quench your skin's thirst for moisture is an aloe deep moisturizing cream containing pine bark extract with OPCs (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins), supplying some of the strongest antioxidant properties in nature. This combats free radicals to help preserve and strengthen the skin's collagen - the most abundant protein in the body.

And to round it all off, I recommend selecting cosmetics that have antioxidants to protect and moisture your skin while also beautifying you!

With a bit of research, you might be surprised by the many antioxidants benefits on offer, both for your inner health and for the face that you present to the world.

Pamela Glynn is the owner of My Aloe Vera, a website telling you everything you could ever need to know about Aloe. To stay updated with the latest Aloe news you can subscribe to her Aloe Vera Blog. FREE ALOE BROCHURE.