What are Antioxidants ? And What Are They good for?

Question

Many drinks iv had like lemon iced tea and green tea say they are a source of Antioxidants and from what i gathered they kill free radicals or do something to free radicals.

So what are they all about ? If you had a gum infection what would anti oxidants actualy do for things like infection?

Answer 1

Cell damage is caused by oxidantion, amongst other processes.  Free radicals are oxygen atoms that are missing an electron from their outer most layer (shell) of electrons, thus making them highly unstable and highly reactive.  They go about in the body literally ripping an electron off the first atom they meet, thus completing their own outer electron shell, but creating another free radical in the process.  Anti-oxidants, of which Vits A, C, E, selenium, pycnogenol, and many, many others are examples, stop this process dead in its tracks, and go on to repair much of the already present damage.  Oxidation causes cell wall damage, premature aging of the cell(s), loss of internal moisture (cytoplasm), can cause the cell to mutate and rupture, and essentially is what causes our cells and us to age and to die.  Excess of free radical damage is also highly implicated in many disease processes.  At least two of the anti-oxidants I've already mentioned will help immensely with your gum infection, namely Vitamins A and C.  The problem, from my perspective, with the drinks you've mentioned is that some of them can be so high in HFCS and other sugars that any good components they might contain are far outweighed by their sugar/carb concentration.  If you're going to drink green tea or lemon iced tea, make your own and drink it without all the added sugars.  Use fresh lemon juice as well.

Answer 2

Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body (as metaphor, think of a car's paint that becomes "oxidized"). When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals.  Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer etc are all contributed by oxidative damage. That's why several servings of fruits and vegies each day are important. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection (by extension, perhaps help your gum infection - but homeopathy is best for that, combined with dental care).

Because people tend to eat such poor diets, living stressful lifestyles, the pharmaceutical industry is capitalizing on fear and marketing antioxidants. The best, safest way to obtain them is through food. Given the chance, our bodies are pretty self-regulating.

Answer 3

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals, which start chain reactions that damage cells. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves. As a result, antioxidants are often reducing agents such as thiols or polyphenols.

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Answer 4

There are several reasonable biochemical, physiological explanations of anti-oxidants already...even from some of the Alties.

What is missing from all of that is evidence that antioxidants have any measurable CLINICAL effect at all.  There is surprisingly little data that whatever may occur at the molecular or cellular level is translated into beneficial effects at the macro level....you and I living longer or healthier.

Answer 5

anioxidants clean out you imune system and helps your arteries from building up with plaqe. in other words it is very good for you

Answer 6

Antioxidants are more for long-term health. Like preventing artery plaque build-up, or preventing the damage to DNA that may cause cancer.

Free radicals are unstable Oxygen molecules that attempt to bind to whatever they can, as quickly as they can. Antioxidants present themselves to these oxygen molecules, which is thought to help prevent them from nailing your DNA.