CONNECTIONS to HEALTH

Antioxidants The audio presentation this month is called Antioxidants, and is about combating oxygen free-radicals. Oxygen free-radicals are rogue oxygen molecules that are missing an electron. They cause all sorts of damage in the body. They are implicated in over 60 causes of death, responsible for degeneration of the body and speed up the ageing process. So if you want to add years to your life and life to your years you need to protect yourself from the ravages of oxygen free-radicals. Antioxidants protect against free-radical damage. The body manufactures antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase, which neutralise the free-radicals. However, as we age the body's ability to make these antioxidants diminish, and this is one of the reasons why young people heal faster than older people. To overcome this shortfall the body will recruit antioxidant vitamins away from their biological processes to neutralise the free-radicals. This then has a knock-on effect to other areas of the body, which are now short of their vital nutrients. So if we are getting our 90 nutrients on a daily basis why do we need additional antioxidants? The body is brilliant at coping in the environment we evolved in. Unfortunately our present environment has pollutants in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Pollutants cause massive numbers of free-radicals to challenge our bodies. What constitutes a good antioxidant supplement? Broad spectrum is the answer. It should contain super antioxidants such as oligomeric proanthocyanadins (OPC's for short), which are water soluble and fat soluble, beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, flavanoids and, if possible, curcuminoids. A great antioxidant is available from the Ishta Centre.  Ask Sue or Allyn for more details.

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