What’s The Big Deal With Anti-Oxidants Anyway?

We’ve all heard about anti-oxidants and that we need to get more of them into our system. It’s easy to listen and think “Oh, I eat grapes at least once a week. I’m good.” But what you don’t know is that anti-oxidants are actually a major player in your overall health and getting enough of them will take a little bit more than just a handful of grapes.

So what exactly is an anti-oxidant? Let’s go a little further back to answer that question. First you need to know what an oxidant is and where they come from.

An oxidant, or an unstable oxygen molecule, is more well know as a free radical. These oxygen molecules have an unpaired electron, basically a lonely magnet that desperately wants to “hook-up” with another lonely magnet. This makes them very unstable. Too many free radicals in your system can lead to some pretty nasty health defects, including cancer. Some research also suggests that cell damage caused by free radicals is a key factor in our aging process.

These free radicals are created from our bodies in the metabolic process. If you’ve ever wanted to see free radicals in action, just cut an apple in half and wait 30 minutes. All of that brown? Yep, that’s caused by free radicals breaking down cell walls. That’s what oxygen does in your body; it breaks down food and converts it into energy.

The Ugly Truth About Free Radicals

The problem with free radicals is they tend to be really needy, as in, they need something to latch onto and are willing to pair up with just about anything that comes into their path; including healthy cells where the oxygen now causes damage.

So while free radicals are helpful to your metabolic process, they can lead to some really bad problems if left to their own devices.

Anti-Oxidants To The Rescue


Alright, now we can answer the real question this blog is concerned with. An Anti-Oxidant is a molecule that will seek out these free radicals, freely gives up an electron gobble up the unstable oxygen molecule and then moves on, thereby neutralizing the free radical and leaving your cells intact.

Anti-Oxidants are also known as free radical scavengers for this very reason.

So What’s The Big Deal?

Getting enough anti-oxidants in your system will prevent free radical damage to your cells. Because they essentially chase down the free radicals and stop them in their tracks, you’re left with a healthier body.

A few of the most powerful anti-oxidants are fairly easy to get into your system. And getting more is simply a matter of changing your eat habits to include a few anti-oxidant rich foods, including:

Resveratrol: Found in grape skin, this is one of the most well known anti-oxidants.

Astaxanthin: Considered the most powerful anti-oxidant, at 550 times more powerful than Vitamin E. It’s made by a particular type of microalgae, so unless you are a blue whale, you’ll want to find a supplement for your Astaxanthin intake.

Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruit like oranges and grapefruits, Vitamin C is also helps maintain optimal electrical flow in your cells.

Vitamin E: While not the most powerful anti-oxidant on this list, Vitamin E is in abundant supply and found in a huge range of food including sunflower seeds, spinach, and almonds.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Not only is this an anti-oxidant, it is one of the most easily transported through out your body, including your brain. It can help your body regenerate other anti-oxidants, like Vitamin E, and it can help reduce inflammation. It found in organ meats, like liver, and in broccoli and spinach.

While you can get almost all of the anti-oxidants you need from eating a balanced diet, you can also get them through high-quality supplements, like Cardio Miracle.

With enough anti-oxidants in your system, you won’t have to worry about oxidation damage caused by free radicals.

Think of it this way: Anti-oxidants keep your insides running smooth, instead of all brown and wrinkly like that cut apple from before.