What Do Antioxidants Actually Do?

Of course you have heard of the term "antioxidant", but do you really know what it does? Do you truly understand the function that an antioxidants takes on once it is inside the body? The chances are that you probably just take them for granted, knowing that if you were to consume enough - you will probably feel better within yourself, and possibly even lower the risk of major illnesses from striking.

Yes - you have the right idea, but this certainly isn't the whole story. Did you know that there is actually a good time of the day to take as many antioxidants as you can - for them to be able to work as efficiently as possible? Did you also know that some foods and fruits have higher levels of antioxidants than some others?

In this article, we will take a look at these varying instances of antioxidants, and try to work out whether or not you are using them in the right way.

Foods You Are Eating

If I was to ask you to make a list of all the foods you thought were high in antioxidants, which ones would you put at the top? No doubt, you would opt for the highly unpopular fruits and vegetables which have to be guzzled down instead of enjoyed at the dinner table. 

But the reality is that there are a number of tasty options to satisfy your need for antioxidants without going overboard. Think about the taste of the following things:

- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Green Tea
- Carrots
- Bananas

Here are 5 things which people tend to enjoy more than spinach, eggplant, and smoked salmon. Indeed, we all have our different taste preferences - but the foods listed above certainly represent what a majority of people would go for.

So What Do Antioxidants Actually Do?

Now that you know which foods you will find antioxidants in, we still have to answer the question of - "what do antioxidants  actually do?".

Well, being true to their name, antioxidants assist with the destruction of oxidation pollutants in the human body. Ironically, even though we rely on oxygen to stay alive - oxidizing which occurs in the body is actually harmful to the cells and the human body itself. Hence, antioxidants work to stall and prevent this process from continuing.