First of all, we need to know what an antioxidant is: it is a nutrient that stops oxidation in our bodies. Oxidation in the body is exactly the same process as outside of it- it is when oxygen causes rust. Our bodies are very complex, built of billions and billions of cells. When one cell misbehaves, others may join it causing an entire line of misbehaving cells. That is where you get diseases and chronic conditions- from your oxidized cells.
An antioxidants slows down or stops this process, keeping the cells healthy and letting them do what they are supposed to do. And while we may think that the dangers are all from the outside, the way our body is designed creates problems as well. Our body uses oxygen taken from the blood stream at every level. After the oxygen is removed, the remainder is called a “free radical” which can cause some issues in the body if they get out of hand. Alright, we create free radicals just by existing, but there are other sources as well, this time outside our bodies. Smoking, pollution, poor food choices and chemicals all add to our free radicals. The more free radicals in the body, the more likely they are to cause damage.
Finding a way to combat or at least lessen the damages caused by free radicals is important for us to maintain our good health. Having antioxidants to help win the fight is a good start.
The most commonly known antioxidants are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta-carotene and the mineral, selenium. Sources include fruits and vegetables, some fiber enriched breads and cereals and many of the products found on monavie.com. In fact the signature blend of Mona Vie provides antioxidant amounts equal to that of 13 servings of fruits and vegetables! Because it is both delicious and safe for use by people of all ages, it is an easier way to get the right amount of antioxidants per day, especially for people who do not like many of the other food sources.
We have to fight off free radicals from outside sources by lowering our exposure to pollution, smoking, excess sunlight, bad foods and chemicals from as many sources as we can, but that is not going to stop all of the free radicals in our body. Remember, they are formed by a regular and natural process in our own body, so we will never be totally free from them. But, we can make sure that we reduce the amount of damage that they do to us by keeping ahead of them and using antioxidants to neutralize their numbers. Click here to learn more about joining the MonaVie team.