You hear the word daily, see it written on the back of labels, but what does “antioxidant” really mean?  Here is a simple and straight-forward answer for all of you regular people out there.

When cells do their work, they create by-product (free radicals).  If this by-product is left sitting there, it can cause sicknesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  When you add antioxidants to your body, they pick up the by-product to use.  Therefore, it isn’t left floating around in your body.

It is believed that aging is caused by the slow oxidation of the body over time so eating foods that will combat this oxidation (that pair with the by-product) will slow down the aging process.  If you increase your fruits and vegetables by just 5 servings, it will decrease the amount of free radicals in your system and reduce the risk of stroke by 25 percent.

Air pollution, smoking, sunlight and even stress can cause more free radicals(by-product) to form than what is typically produced, thus, speeding up the aging process.

Antioxidants include Vitamin A, C, E and beta carotene.  You can find them in the following products:

• Olive Oil – See our post “The Numerous Beauty Uses for Olive Oil”
• CoQ10
• Fruits & Vegetables
• Nuts & Oil – Avocado, almond and grape seed oil are all included
• Oatmeal – Read about “6 Organic Skin Care Ingredients in Your Kitchen“
• Tomato and Tomato Products

Like you always hear – eating healthy makes you look and feel good.  If you are looking to go organic, save money or do it yourself, knowing that your skin care is in your kitchen cupboard may be a fun and beautifying hobby.

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