Antioxidants are a group of vitamins, minerals and dyes of plant compounds that prevent the damaging effect of free radicals. That is why we must include fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and vegetables in our daily diet.
The lack of antioxidants can affect our health, in the following way:
– Premature aging is caused by the accumulation of free radicals.
– Problems in the nervous system: Decrease the nervous impulse, reflexes, memory and learning, if it reaches to decrease the blood supply at the nervous level can get to suffer from senile dementia.
– Problems in the cardiovascular system: Arteriosclerosis.
Food is a very important factor to prevent aging, eating little, varied and balanced prolongs life and hypocaloric diets shorten it.
Different foods have different nutrients and substances such as vitamins, minerals or amino acids that act as antioxidants:
Vitamin C:
In fresh and raw fruits and vegetables like Mango, kiwi, pineapple, guava, persimmon, melon, strawberries, peppers, tomato, cabbage, cabbage.
Vitamin E:
In soybean oil, olive oil, cereal germ or whole grain cereals, wheat germ, nuts, green leafy vegetables.
Beta-carotene:
In green or red-orange-yellowish vegetables such as carrots, squash, spinach, watercress, broccoli, etc.
Zinc:
In meats and organ meats, eggs, fish, legumes and whole grains, oat flakes, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, mushrooms and beans. (Fight against free radicals, it expels carbon dioxide from our body, helps in relieving allergies).
Selenium:
In meats, fish, seafood, eggs, cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Copper:
In liver, fish, seafood, green vegetables and whole grains.
Magnesium:
In sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, snails, wheat germ, soybeans, peanuts, etc.
