Antioxidants Are the Anti Aging Vitamin

The creation and study of anti aging treatments and supplements is a hot topic in medicine right now. Antioxidants are sometimes know as the anti aging vitamin and have certain effects that are thought to slow the aging process, as well as help to prevent many diseases that are associated with aging. In order to understand why antioxidants are thought of as the anti aging vitamin, an understanding of the free radical theory is necessary.



The Free Radical Theory



The explanation of free radicals can get very complicated, very quickly. In simple terms, free radicals are molecules that are considered unstable because they are missing an electron in their outer shells. Over time, these molecules can damage the cells around them by in essence stealing an electron from the surrounding cells, thereby making that cell into a free radical. This process reduces that cells function, and with enough cells effected it can also reduce that particular system’s function and, eventually the individual’s overall functioning.



Antioxidants are known as the anti aging vitamin due to this theory. Antioxidants are able to stabilize these free radicals by essentially donating one of their electrons to the free radical, thereby making the free radical into a stable molecule. Unlike organic cells, antioxidants remain stable even after donating an electron to the free radical, as they are stable in either form.



Antioxidant Composition



Although they are many times referred to as the anti aging vitamin, antioxidants actually include several different kinds of vitamins. Some of the more common antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, melatonin, glutathione, selenium, lycopene, and lutien. These vitamins may be listed differently as well, as they each break down as different substances or may be combined and listed differently.



Antioxidants can be found in many of the foods people eat every day. Some of these foods include berries (strawberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, etc.), apples, many different types of vegetables (green peppers, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, etc.), fish, red meats, chicken and eggs are all sources of varying types of antioxidants. Essentially, following a good diet that is full of different types of nutritional food may be the easiest way to ensure you get all of the antioxidants needed for a healthy diet.



Antioxidant supplements are also available over the counter, at times they are included in forms that are represented as anti aging vitamin cocktails. However, studies have found little benefit to the use of these supplements and excessive doses of them may actually be harmful.