Antioxidants are all the buzz word in nutritional expert speeches and blogs these days. But what is an antioxidant drink, how do you make it, and what benefit does it give you? Let’s answer all your queries today!
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Antioxidants are a trendy issue in the world of health and wellness, yet many people are unaware of the impact they have on their health and well-being. Even while the antioxidant capabilities of foods are overhyped, little is understood about how these antioxidants benefit the body.
To get the full health advantages of antioxidant products, you must be aware of your cellular health and the obstacles it faces. A detailed discussion of antioxidant beverages and supplements, such as those in the following list, is provided as part of the body’s overall discussion of oxidative stress.
What Exactly Are Free Radicals in Antioxidants?
A free radical is a chemically unstable molecule with an unpaired electron that is present in the body. To overcome this instability, the molecule seeks an electron partner to pair with.
Finding an electron to steal from nearby structures, proteins, or membranes is an everyday activity for free radicals, which may be detrimental to the body.
The loss of an electron by a free radical from any of these structures has the potential to injure or strain your cells. This is the harm that free radicals are capable of.
In the human body, free radicals arise naturally in many chemical interactions, despite being damaging to the individual.
Endogenous antioxidants in the body are required for free radicals to be able to live inside cells and cause damage. However, the antioxidants generated by the body’s own cells are often unable to keep up with the generation of free radicals.
What are Antioxidants?
Throughout the past few decades, intense advertising campaigns have raised awareness of the health advantages of antioxidants among the general population. But what precisely distinguishes an antioxidant from a non-antioxidant, and why antioxidants are so helpful, remains a mystery.
Unstable free radicals may cause cell damage if they are not neutralized or prevented from doing so by an antioxidant. Because antioxidants act as electron donors, free radicals are unable to cause damage to nearby structures such as tissues and body organs.
Endogenous antioxidants such as CoQ10, uric acid, and bilirubin are already present in the human body. While these antioxidants are formed in the body, increasing the number of antioxidants you ingest via your diet may aid in the prevention of free radical damage from occurring.
What is Oxidative Stress?
When the balance between free radicals and antioxidants is tilted towards the free radicals, it causes Oxidative stress in the body. Enabling free radicals to run amuk can cause damage to healthy cells.
Free radicals cause mayhem and seek to steal electrons from nearby molecules and structures if antioxidants do not protect them. It is possible that, even though it is little, this imbalance will result in persistent inflammation in the body, diminished energy, and mental illness.
Despite the fact that oxidative stress is often regarded as a biological problem, the choices we make on a daily basis may have an impact on whether or not our cells are exposed to oxidative stress.
It is possible to develop oxidative stress if you consume a poor diet, smoke, or are physically sedentary for an extended length of time. It may lead to a worse overall quality of life if your cells are preoccupied with the dangers posed by free radical damage.
Drinks High in Antioxidants
Antioxidant drinks are beverages whose major objective is to supplement your diet with a considerable quantity of antioxidants to fight the free radicals in your body.
However, despite the fact that many fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants, ingesting them in solid form in sufficient amounts to reap the benefits may be difficult.
For example, orange juice is a good illustration since a single cup includes more than two oranges. You will find that drinking a glass of orange juice every day is significantly more convenient than peeling and eating two oranges every day if you are trying to satisfy your recommended daily diet of fruits and vegetables.
The following list contains antioxidant-rich drinks and information on their health benefits. When combined with a healthy diet and active lifestyle, it may aid in keeping your body’s free radicals under control and allow you to participate in more of the activities that you like.
Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranates are a common fruit because of the many seeds they contain. Most of the popular fruits globally include an average of five to eight seeds, but the pomegranate may have as many as 600, and each seed is enclosed in the fruit.
The popularity of pomegranate has skyrocketed due to its many health advantages and abundance of antioxidants. Even though some may find the fruit’s acidity to be off-putting, the antioxidant power of this juice is unsurpassed.
Pomegranates include flavonoids, anthocyanins, punicic acid, and ellagitannins, all of which have antioxidant properties. Because it does not have to cope with oxidative stress and damage, the body is better equipped to concentrate on its function when there is no oxidative damage.
Blueberry Juice
The blueberry has a long and illustrious history as the most antioxidant-rich food on the planet. Blueberries have piqued the curiosity of nutritional experts due to their unusual combination of antioxidants and oxygen radical absorption capability since the research was undertaken in the mid-1990s.
The nutritional components of blueberries aren’t as concentrated in the juice form as they are in the raw fruit, but it’s a lot easier to get them into your diet this way.
In addition to providing you with a rapid dose of antioxidant-rich fruit, blueberry juice may also be used as a natural sweetener in smoothies and pre-workout shakes.
Coffee
Many people’s morning routines wouldn’t be complete without a cup of coffee. When combined with breakfast, it’s a delicious and filling combination.
Besides being delicious, coffee is also packed with chlorogenic acids and melanoidin, two powerful antioxidants. As a result of the roasting process, lighter roast coffees tend to contain more chlorogenic acids, although roasting also allows melanoidin formation.
Coffee has other benefits such as aiding brain function, blood sugar control, and ehancing the cognitive and physical abilities of those who consume it. Coffee’s antioxidant capacity makes it a fantastic beverage to drink in moderation for your health when paired with these other advantages.
Supplements
Numerous antioxidant compounds found in healthy foods and beverages may be present in higher concentrations in supplements than in meals and drinks.
Antioxidants contained in supplements are not found in your regular diet, which is why they are highly recommended. Supplements should be combined with a well-balanced diet to obtain the maximum benefit from your nutrition.
As a result of the fact that they do not depend on plant juice to provide their antioxidants, supplements are a healthier option than conventional beverages. The following are some of the most effective antioxidant supplements now available on the market.
CoQ10
CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant present in the mitochondria of all living organisms. The mitochondria are an essential part of the cell and are responsible for converting glucose into ATP, the cell’s usable form of energy. Your cells’ energy needs simply couldn’t be met if the mitochondria weren’t there to provide it.
The mitochondria produce a high concentration of free radicals during the energy conversion process. CoQ10 is used by the body to protect the mitochondrial membrane from oxidative stress. The mitochondria may perform at their peak when the antioxidant is ready to provide protection.
As a result of aging or other external stresses, CoQ10 levels may decline over time. Mitochondrial free radicals may wreak havoc on ATP generation efficiency when CoQ10 levels are reduced.
Supplementing with CoQ10 is possible, although many CoQ10 supplements are poorly absorbed by the mitochondria and hence have little effect on energy production.
MitoQ stands out in this regard. MitoQ is a modified version of CoQ10 that is easily absorbed and used by the cell. For mitochondrial health and oxidative stress reduction, MitoQ is an excellent supplement.
Curcumin
Curcumin is recognized as a superfood supplement because of its significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin supplements, a purified form of turmeric, contain just the polyphenol curcumin as its active component.
Curcumin’s antioxidant properties are ascribed to the polyphenol molecule, which supports digestive, neurological, and immunological processes in humans.
MitoQ + Curcumin is a fantastic option as a dietary supplement since it has the optimal mix of two potent antioxidants in one convenient capsule.
Nutrition Advice
Antioxidants give health advantages; thus, many people take them regularly. These tips may help you get more antioxidants into your diet:
- Include a fruit or vegetable as a healthy addition to each meal and snack whenever feasible.
- Have a cup of green or matcha tea every few hours throughout the day.
- See how many different shades of color there are on your plate. Generally, a diet high in brown or beige foods will lower your antioxidant intake. It’s important to incorporate fruits and vegetables that are brightly colored, such as kale or beets, in your diet.
- Turmeric, cumin, oregano, ginger, clove, and cinnamon are just a few of the antioxidant-rich spices you may use in your cooking.
- If you’re looking for a healthy snack that’s also low in sugar and salt, go no further than nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
Tasty and Healthy Anti-Oxidant Meals
- Snack on a cherry-almond smoothie as a healthy alternative.
- Carrots cooked to perfection with cinnamon and ginger seasoning
- Roasted beets with an orange-beet balsamic vinaigrette and quinoa in a beet-quinoa salad are two of my favorite things.
- Carrot cake served with a protein shake
- Soup made with chickpeas, kale, and cashews that are packed with superfoods
- Thailand’s spicy lettuce wraps
- All remedies based on juice, which is the most effective.
- Eating enough fresh plant-based meals is beneficial to your health, even though there is no recommended daily allowance (RDA) for antioxidants in the United States.
Risks of Over Supplementation
There have been numerous studies showing that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may be beneficial to one’s health; however, it is important not to overstate the extent to which this may be the case. It’s essential to use supplements with caution, however, because they can be harmful.
In addition, the National Institutes of Health warns that taking too much antioxidant supplementation can have negative consequences (NIH). Beta-carotene, for example, has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers. Prostate cancer is associated with high levels of vitamin E in the bloodstream and with the use of various antioxidant supplements.
In some cases, antioxidant supplements may interfere with the effects of prescription medications. Before using any of these products, it is recommended that you consult with a licensed medical professional.
A specific antioxidant drug or a specific antioxidant-rich meal may or may not protect against a particular condition, but no conclusive evidence supports this claim.
Supplements may be beneficial for those at risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. They must, however, seek medical advice before deciding on whether or not to take supplements.
Risks of Synthetic Antioxidants
Despite the many health issues that free radicals have been connected to, increasing one’s intake of antioxidants does not ensure that one will not develop any of them.
Synthetic antioxidants have been shown to raise the risk of some health issues. Considering that antioxidants may be found in fruits and vegetables, a diet high in fruits and vegetables is a wonderful source of these nutrients.
People who eat more fruits and vegetables have a decreased risk of getting chronic illnesses than those who do not. Including more antioxidants in your diet, particularly in processed foods, is unlikely to provide a significant effect.
In addition, anybody thinking about taking antioxidant supplements should consult with a healthcare professional before proceeding.
The Bottom Line
An important family of molecules that helps to keep free radicals under control is antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential in reducing the likelihood of unneeded oxidative stress.
You may assist your body fight free radicals by consuming or drinking foods and beverages that are rich in antioxidants, as well as by taking antioxidant supplements.
We hope this article was able to help you understand the benefits of antioxidants, antioxidant drinks that will help you provide the right fix for free radicals, and of course the risks of over-supplementation.
If you have doubts, queries, questions, or comments, please feel free to drop us a word in the comments section. We will make sure to respond back to you at the very earliest.
