A diet rich in antioxidants is good for everyone, because free radicals damage the body's cells and are one of the causes of aging. To minimize their harmful effects, enrich your diet with antioxidants. Eat vegetables rich in vitamins C and E every day, tomatoes are high in lycopene. If you smoke, you need to get three times as much vitamin C as a non-smoker.

A diet rich in antioxidantswill keep you young longer. However, you must remember that there are some rules here as well, and an excess of beneficial antioxidants can be harmful.

Antioxidants in the diet

1. Vitamin C contained in fresh vegetables and fruits is the leader among antioxidants. Called ascorbic acid, it catches and neutralizes free radicals before they can damage cells. It is essential for the proper work of white blood cells and chemical messengers that fight disease. Unfortunately, our body cannot produce or accumulate it, so we have to eat 70 mg of the vitamin every day, which is equivalent to half a cup of black currants or a glass of Brussels sprouts.

2. Vitamin E protects cell membranes against free radicals, delaying aging. You can find it in wheat germ, vegetable oils, wholemeal bread, pasta, groats, sea fish, milk and nuts. A tablespoon of sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds or a handful of hazelnuts will cover the daily requirement.

3. Eat a handful of pumpkin seeds, a few Brazil nuts, or a serving of wheat germ or bran muesli. Selenium found there is involved in the production of an enzyme that protects cell membranes against oxidants and increases the absorption of vitamin E. It ensures the efficient functioning of the immune system, prevents inflammation, heart attacks and strokes. You will also find it in poultry, fish, egg yolks, whole grain cereal products, onions.

4. Beta-carotene (provitamin A) along with vitamin C and E is part of a triad of compounds with strong antioxidant properties. It blocks the formation of free radicals in the body and neutralizes it when absorbed from the environment, preventing some types of cancer. By neutralizing the free radicals in the retina, it improves vision, reduces the risk of macular degeneration and the development of cataracts. Yellow, red,orange fruits and vegetables (also dark green leafy). Carotenes dissolve easily in fats, so it is worth sprinkling carrot or pepper salad with olive oil.

5. Love the red tomatoes! The pigment they contain - lycopene - is one of the strongest antioxidants. Its bioavailability increases when heated in the presence of fat. Therefore, when preparing tomato sauce or tomato paste at home, it is worth adding a teaspoon of oil or butter. Lycopene is also found in watermelons and red grapefruits, but most of it in tomatoes.

6. Reach for purges. Cistus is a treasury of polyphenols - antioxidants that "sweep away" free radicals from the body. It is said that purges contain more than red wine.

Antioxidants in your diet - eat more if you smoke

Tar contained in one cigarette "inhale" contain a lot (exactly: 1014) free radicals. Due to the nitrogen oxide and dioxide present in the smoke, an extremely dangerous hydroxyl radical is formed, which blindly destroys every molecule it encounters. Both nicotine smoke and aqueous tar extract damage DNA. And that can lead to cancer.

Oxidants in tobacco smoke significantly lower the level of antioxidants in the blood. Therefore, smokers need to supply the body with 2-3 times more vitamin C than nonsmokers to obtain the same serum levels.

Antioxidants in the diet - tablets

According to the latest research, filling ourselves with antioxidants, instead of strengthening the body, can put us in he alth problems. In small doses, considered our enemies, free radicals act as a vaccine, protecting cells from damage.

If you lead a he althy lifestyle, take care of your physical condition, eat 80 grams of vegetables and fruit a day, avoid animal fats and processed foods, you do not need dietary supplements. The disturbance of the physiological level of oxidants makes the body less able to cope with large harmful doses of free radicals, e.g. during an illness.

Find out more:

Free radicals: why are they dangerous? A diet rich in antioxidants will help to strengthen poor eyesight. OXIDATIVE STRESS - the causes and effects of oxidative stress

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Antioxidants in your diet - drink tea, cocoa and red wine

All teas, red wine and cocoa have antioxidant properties. They owe them to flavonoids (e.g. resveratrol, quercetin, catechins), which give berries a red and navy blue color and affect the taste and smell of tea infusion.

By interacting with vitamin C (they weaken its decomposition), E and beta-carotene, they have a positive effect on our body. They are called "free radical scavengers", they can protect against certain cancers, cholesterol deposition, and have a bactericidal effect. Cocoa effectively lowers blood pressure, protects against atherosclerosis and heart disease. A glass of red wine with a meal reduces blood clotting, which prevents the formation of blockages in the blood vessels of the heart and brain.

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