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Why do we grow old, fall ill and get tired? In many cases these
different events have a common denominator - the free radicals. Our bodies
consist of millions of cells, microcosms whose operation primarily depends on
the intactness of the membrane, which encloses them and regulates the vital
exchanges between interior and exterior.
However, the cell membranes
have some tough enemies that endanger their structure and their correct
operation. Some of the most fearsome of these "enemies " seem to be the free
radicals; they attack the molecules making up the membranes, damaging them and
giving rise to interconnected processes that are harmful and often devastating
to the body. The body defends itself against the harmful action of the free
radicals (which consist of reactions like peroxidation) with the help of
substances that combat their formation, namely antioxidants.
Many
natural foods are rich in antioxidants but the food refining and preparation
processes used nowadays and numerous other factors which cause free radicals to
be formed (and cause harm), to a greater extent now than in the past, mean that
the daily diet is not always able to supply all the elements the body needs to
develop its antioxidant defences against the action of the free radicals to the
full.
Supplementing some particular vitamins (such as vitamin C, which
performs many important roles in our bodies), certain
multi-vitamin/multi-mineral complexes and specific natural antioxidant
substances can however help our bodies, provided that these supplements occur
on a daily basis using small balanced quantities of these substances.
This is because it is not possible to
provide our organism with a long-lasting reserve of antioxidants.
Vitamin C
Too little can make you sluggish. In
recent studies Arizona State University has decided that if you have a vitamin
C deficiency it can leave you too tired to do anything. The chances are that
your vitamin C deficient is one-in-four. It is believed that vitamin C may help
the body produce carnitine, an amino acid that helps metabolise energy. Each
person needs a daily intake of 60mg of vitamin C. To achieve this all you have
to drink is ½ cup of real orange juice per day.
5 Ways to Get
Your Daily Vitamin C
- One grapefruit
- A large jacket
potato with a tablespoon of Coleslaw
- One Kiwi
Fruit
- A 60g serving of
cauliflower
- A quarter of a raw
pepper.
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Author: Ann Brady
Copyright www.exercise.co.uk
2001
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Copyright Exercise, Fitness & Leisure 2001
No information on this site can be used for commercial purposes without the prior approval
of E.F.L All rights reserved
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