| Re: What Are Antioxidants?
Ahh, good question. In your body, you have lots free radicals. What is a free radical then? Your body is continually going through millions of chemical reactions every second and what is sometimes lost is a single electron. This free floating single electron is called a 'free radical' or an oxidant.
For those of you who haven't taken chemistry, electrons do not like to be by themselves, they prefer to be in electron pairs. This free radical (I'm not exactly sure why) is not in the body's best interest. So what an antioxidant does, is it binds that electron with another electron, notably a food source with an antioxidant.
The most common antioxidant is Vitamin C. It's chemical structure (it has OH bonds) will release a hydrogen to bond with the sole electron. You can get vitamin C from NUMBERUS citrus fruits, bananas, green leafy foods, etc.
Chaz |