How Do Antioxidants Lend Themselves to Brain Health?

While it might sound like a marketing term, or some new age food additive, antioxidants are a natural substance found in many foods. And they’re an important part of a healthy diet, stretching back to the earliest days of human food practices. An antioxidant is a substance that helps prevent cell decay within the body; one that can help shield against some kinds of damage the cells might otherwise be subjected to. Learning which foods have higher levels of antioxidants is quite simple. Brightly colored foods, especially fruits and vegetables, invariably are a very good source of antioxidants. As the brightness of the color increases, generally the higher the level of antioxidants in that food item will be.

Oxidative stress is a condition humans can suffer from, and it can contribute to various age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s. When the body cannot detoxify the metabolic processes that come from a diet low in antioxidants, oxidative stress can occur. Beyond an incomplete diet, alcohol and smoking, as well as pollution in the environment, can contribute to oxidative stress. In the case of cognitive diseases, research is finding antioxidants may play an important role in reducing or reversing the damage that causes Alzheimer’s Disease. Those at risk for Alzheimer’s can benefit from ensuring their diet is rich in antioxidants.

Key Points:

  • 1Bring on the chocolate. Studies show cocoa flavonoids lower your risk for developing Alzheimer’s.
  • 2A regular intake of blueberries and strawberries delayed cognitive decline.
  • 3The brighter the color of your fruits and vegetables the more antioxidants they contain.


In general, the brighter the color, the higher the level of disease-fighting antioxidants in food.
Share

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

User Reviews

Reply

Your email address will not be published

20 − 1 =

Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

View all post by HealthStatus