Home › Nutrition › NUTRITION WHY’S #41: WHY ANTIOXIDANTS? We all need antioxidants every day from colorful fruits and vegetables and from supplements. There at two trace minerals (Manganese and Molybdenum) which are cofactors for enzymes that are a key part of our antioxidant defenses along with more familiar Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene.

NUTRITION WHY’S #41: WHY ANTIOXIDANTS? We all need antioxidants every day from colorful fruits and vegetables and from supplements. There at two trace minerals (Manganese and Molybdenum) which are cofactors for enzymes that are a key part of our antioxidant defenses along with more familiar Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene.

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NUTRITION WHY’S: WHY ANTIOXIDANTS? We all need antioxidants every day from colorful fruits and vegetables and from supplements. There at two trace minerals (Manganese and Molybdenum) which are cofactors for enzymes that are a key part of our antioxidant defenses along with more familiar Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Before I tell you about those two trace minerals, I need to explain what an oxygen radical is and why we need to protect our cells from them. Our bodies use Oxygen to make energy for all the chemical reactions that we need to survive. We do this by using the energy holding two oxygen atoms together in Oxygen gas which makes up 20% of the air we breathe. This happens in mitochondria which are part of all the calls in our body. Billions of years ago, they were bacteria that found a helpful role inside the cells of primitive organisms. They have their own simple circular DNA which you inherit only from your mother. This DNA is less protected than DNA in our genes so it gets damaged as we age leading to leaky mitochondria. As they carefully take Oxygen gas apart inside complex protein machines, they form a compound called ATP which can be safely used by proteins in the body for energy by removing one phosphate making ADP. This important process of using Oxygen gas to make ATP, leaks Oxygen radicals which are single Oxygen atoms with an unpaired reactive free electron. Like a lit match, they can burn up the cell machinery and more come out as we age. The main enzymes protecting our cells are Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione Proxidase (GPx). SOD converts the oxygen radicals to hydrogen peroxide ( the chemical used in hair color as a bleach). Then GPx coverts that into harmless water. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Phytonutrients protect chemicals that are damaged when some radicals aren’t cleaned up by these enzymes. Balanced Nutrition, Healthy Active Lifestyle, Multivitamins, and other Supplements can help protect your body from the damage of Oxygen radicals and the chemicals they produce!!#drdavidheber #aging #oxygen #antioxidants to learn more go to www.drdavidheber.com and www.herbalifenutritioninstitute.com

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Categories: Nutrition

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