Antioxidants play a key role in defending against free radicals and thus reducing oxidative stress. This stress occurs when the balance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body is tilted in favor of the damaging radicals. These radicals attack your cells in the body, including your brain. In this article, you'll learn what you can do about it, which foods contain these health-boosting ingredients, and which is the world's most powerful antioxidant!
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are, in a sense, a protective shield for our cells in the body and brain, and thus influence your health. What do they protect our cells from? Antioxidants counterbalance so-called "free radicals," which are oxygen-containing molecules that can damage the body. These are formed in our bodies by high levels of UV radiation, environmental toxins, or even through the use of medication. The free radicals quickly and aggressively attack healthy cells because they lack an electron in their structure, which they steal from the healthy cells. This process is called oxidation; if the process is more advanced, it is referred to as oxidative stress . Antioxidants help bind free radicals, which is why they are also called radical scavengers. This means they voluntarily release an electron and thus protect the body's own cells. Different foods contain different antioxidants, which means that diet plays a major role in this issue.
Free radicals vs. antioxidants
If you suffer from a deficiency due to an unhealthy diet, numerous processes damaging to your health are triggered by free radicals. Antioxidants, which are found in green tea, for example, ensure that the cells in your brain and body are protected. They are therefore extremely important for your overall health! Modern life, however, brings with it a multitude of free radicals. In addition to the environmental factors mentioned above, which we often have no influence on, the formation of free radicals is primarily promoted by our modern lifestyle. Stress and hectic schedules, an unbalanced diet, the consumption of stimulants such as smoking, and modern diseases of civilization promote the formation of free radicals. The body is often no longer able to absorb the large amount of resulting free radicals, and an antioxidant deficiency develops. The originally balanced ratio of free radicals and the all-important antioxidants becomes dangerously imbalanced: the body can no longer cope with the flood of free radicals, and the aforementioned oxidative stress is the result. Oxidative stress is considered a major threat to health because it can only be stopped by antioxidant powers, but many people are not aware of this.
This deficiency is often exacerbated by modern diets. Conventional foods are often contaminated with pesticides, and fruits and vegetables, which contain high amounts of antioxidants, are often not on the menu at all or only in small quantities. For this reason, it's extremely important to ensure you eat foods rich in antioxidants, whether in the form of foods or supplements.
Take-Home Message #1: If you suffer from an antioxidant deficiency, the reactive free radicals in your body take over and begin to attack all the cells in your body and brain.
What damage can free radicals cause?
Free radicals are among the most damaging compounds in our bodies. Free radicals originally form as a "waste product" of respiration – after all, five to ten percent of the oxygen we breathe is converted into highly aggressive oxygen radicals. Normally, this isn't particularly dangerous, as we already have protective and repair mechanisms. The body then dispatches its own radical scavengers, which prevent the unwanted oxidation of body cells. Generally, everyone has enough antioxidant power to control it. If not, oxidation can impede the cells' regular detoxification and repair mechanisms. Cell renewal and regeneration are essential for maintaining the smooth functioning of the body, especially with regard to joint function.
Cell regeneration mechanisms normally decline with age. Oxidative stress can therefore lead to premature aging and is also suspected of being involved in over a hundred diseases. These include, above all, neurodegenerative disorders, meaning cognitive functions of the brain can be impaired. For example, a study from the University of Texas examined this topic and found that antioxidants can protect the neurons in your brain². The study also found that in regions where antioxidants are an integral part of the diet, neurodegenerative diseases are less common and, in fact, improved mental performance is observed.
Take-home message #2: Free radicals and the resulting oxidative stress can lead to premature aging and be the cause of other diseases!
Increased performance - increased demand!
Are you an active athlete—and this applies to recreational athletes as well—and do you love exercise? Then you're definitely one of those who have an increased need for antioxidants. Due to the intense metabolic processes involved, oxidative stress also increases, which should be counteracted with a higher dose. Oxidative stress also increases during pregnancy. If an expectant mother wants to ensure she's adequately supplied with antioxidants, she should ensure, in addition to a basic supply of free radical scavengers, that she has a sufficient supply of omega-3 fatty acids . Omega-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid, not only function as effective antioxidants but are also essential for the development of the fetus's brain.
Finally, those who have to maintain a high level of mental performance on a daily basis have an increased need for antioxidants. This is because free radicals not only attack cells, but also your brain! A very important antioxidant for your brain is black pepper, also called piperine . Black pepper acts as a bioenhancer, meaning it serves as a natural booster for other active ingredients and is therefore used in many supplements. Piperine also has antioxidant power. Piperine protects the connections between nerve cells and thus prevents premature aging due to free radicals. A study from the University of Texas found that neurodegenerative diseases are less common in regions where piperine is widely used in cooking. This demonstrates the neuroprotective and antioxidant effects of piperine. (Study 1)
Green tea is another important antioxidant for your brain, as numerous studies from China have found. (Study 2) Green tea has been consumed in Asian countries for thousands of years. Not only does it taste good, it's also very healthy! The epigallocatechin (ECGC) it contains has been shown to act as a natural antioxidant. It can capture reactive oxygen species in the body and thus protects cells from oxidative stress. Green tea also reduces psychological stress. Furthermore, studies in China have found that green tea consumption correlates with improved cognitive performance in old age.
Take-Home Message #3: Do you regularly perform at peak levels, whether in sports or mentally? Then you definitely have an increased need and should consider buying antioxidants, as increased performance also goes hand in hand with increased oxidative stress. The body's most powerful antioxidant is L-glutathione , which is also available as a high-dose capsule .
Immediate measures against free radicals
By making just a few small changes to your lifestyle, you can help reduce the number of free radicals in your metabolism!
Avoid high UV radiation:
- Use sun protection or protective clothing
- Spend your holidays in areas with lower radiation
Limit consumption of stimulants:
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Limit sweets/junk food consumption to individual occasions
- Quit smoking
Diet rich in antioxidants:
- prefer fresh fruit and vegetables
- Replace animal fats with vegetable oils
- antioxidant supplements
These are the most powerful antioxidants in the diet
Among the most powerful antioxidants is astaxanthin , which is found in algae and krill oil . It is said to be considerably more effective than, for example, beta-carotene and to have an antioxidant effect several times stronger than that of vitamin E. Astaxanthin is therefore also known as the "king of antioxidants" or "superantioxidant."
Other well-known antioxidants include vitamin C , vitamin E, and provitamin A, which is why they are often available to buy as tablets or capsules. While vitamin C is found in almost all fresh vegetables and a wide variety of fruits, provitamin A, also known as beta-carotene, is primarily found in deep yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, peaches, mangoes, pumpkins, sea buckthorn, etc. But the food list is even longer. You can also find it in dark green vegetables and herbs, such as spinach or dandelion. Vitamin E is mainly found in vegetable oils. Other good natural sources are tomatoes. The lycopene they contain is considered a "super antioxidant." Studies have shown that lycopene is ten times more effective at scavenging free radicals than vitamin E. It should be noted, however, that cooking increases the antioxidant effect of tomatoes many times over, so it is better not to eat tomatoes raw. The antioxidant coenzyme Q10 can also be used to combat free radicals. It is now a component of many anti-aging skin creams, but it also works to combat cell destruction when taken internally or through food.
Food List: Antioxidants
- Krill oil
- Green tea
- Black pepper
- Tomatoes or tomato extract (lycopene)
- Carrots or beta-carotenes
- Berries like blueberries
- Elderberries
- Acerola cherry
- Citrus fruits such as oranges
- Broccoli
- spinach
- pomegranate
- Grape seed extract
- Coenzyme Q10
Buying Antioxidants - What You Need to Consider
Anyone who decides to play it safe and buy antioxidants in capsule or tablet form should bear a few things in mind to ensure that the supplements are really effective against the damage caused by free radicals. Although you can buy antioxidants in drugstores or pharmacies - after all, vitamins C and E are each considered very effective antioxidants - their concentration is usually low and their effectiveness is correspondingly limited. The best way to buy antioxidants is to go directly to a manufacturer that specializes in this issue. The most effective supplements are those that combine the effectiveness of various antioxidants, allowing the individual active ingredients to be reinforced. One such combination product is BRAINEFFECT MOOD ; this sophisticated combination of active ingredients helps you support your well-being. The most powerful and well-known antioxidant, however, can be found in krill oil, such as BRAINEFFECT KRILL BOOST .
Studies
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3183139/
2. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ref/10.1179/1476830511Y.0000000035?scroll=top&
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