Antioxidants - Oxidative Stress - Diet

Prevention with nutrition: antioxidants

The organism is constantly exposed to so-called free radicals, which are a burden for the body. If this gets out of hand, one speaks of oxidative stress, which can promote illness. The fact that the body comes into contact with free radicals is a natural, constant process:

They occur in the air and in the food chain, but free radicals also arise in the body itself, e.g. during immune defense or inflammation.

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In order to avoid diseases, there should be a balance between the so-called pro- and antioxidative processes in the body. An imbalance can lead to cell damage and damage to the genetic material. Oxidative stress in the body can result from overload, environmental toxins, cigarette smoke and alcohol, among other things.

Protection against oxidative stress

As part of the non-enzymatic defense, the antioxidants work as a protective system (radical scavenger). Antioxidants naturally occurring in food include

Vitamin C,
Vitamin E,
Carotenoids,
Flavonoids and other phytochemicals.

In addition, the body is protected from these harmful substances by certain enzymes (enzymatic protection system). The trace elements selenium, zinc, copper and manganese are important for the enzymatic defense.

Where are antioxidants found?

In particular, plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, legumes and high-quality vegetable oils and nuts are rich in antioxidants. Particularly “traffic light” fruits and vegetables such as spinach or grapes (green), tomatoes, berries (red), carrots, apples (yellow / orange) are recommended. The minerals that are important for enzymatic defense are mainly found in whole grain products, fish, meat and eggs.

Note A mixture of antioxidants in a natural compound - ie via food - offers high protection potential. From a scientific point of view, taking concentrated preparations (supplements) does not make sense.