Antioxidants
Antioxidants are man-made as well as natural elements that can offset free radicals and protect the body from cellular damage. Antioxidants inhibit or delay certain types of cell damage. Some antioxidants are produced by the body, while others can be procured through dietary sources. Antioxidants are present in a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables. They are also available as dietary supplements.
Free radicals are chemicals that are typically formed in our bodies as the byproduct of calories being converted into energy. In addition to this, they can be found in natural sources, like air and sunlight whenever they react with the skin. They can easily damage cells and genetic material. Other sources of free radicals are present in the form of food that you eat and the air that you breathe. Some are generated by sunlight’s reaction with skin and eyes.
Examples of antioxidants include
THE FREE RADICAL STORY: HOW DO FREE RADICALS CAUSE DAMAGE? 
- Free radicals are presentnaturally as a result of chemical reactions that take place in our bodies. However, exposure to pollution, cigarette smoke and sunlight can manifold increase the number of these free radicals.
- Free radicals can cause damage to thetissues, cell membranes and DNA, which may then lead to certain cancers and other diseases.
- Free radicals
can be ofmany shapes, sizes, and chemical configurations. What they all have in common is aninsatiable appetite for electrons, stealing them from close-by substances that will surrender This electrons’stealing can completely change the “loser’s” structure or function. Free radicals can damage or change the instructions coded in a strand of DNA causing numerous diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and eye diseases such as cataract and age-related macular degeneration.
THE ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANTS
- Antioxidants help to keep thefree radicals steady and prevent them from causing any
- The human body, long used to this harsh attack, makes antioxidant molecules that quashfree radicals. Antioxidants can also be extracted from food products. They work by generously conferring electrons to free radicals without turning into electron-scavenging substances themselves.
HOW DO ANTIOXIDANTS HELP TO SUPPORT WEIGHT LOSS?
- Toxins produced by the body are stored in fat cells inside our The body holds on to the fat cells as a defence mechanism to keepthe body from being assaulted and flooded with toxins. Toxins slow down body’s metabolism and it becomes difficult to lose weight even if you are eating less.
- Toxins also affect the brain cells and caninterfere with hunger control and hormone regulation such as management of blood sugar.
- Antioxidants equalizethe free radicals and help to exclude the toxins from the body. This helps every cell in the body to function more efficiently in dealing with waste, hereby, improving Antioxidants also make the fat cells reduce their production of triglycerides.
ANTIOXIDANT-RICH FOODS
Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, mulberry, goji berries are the best sources of antioxidants without any doubt. Berries contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, which help to lower inflammation and improve the immune system.
Nuts & Seeds:The powerful combination of Vitamin E and fiber 
in nuts and seeds make them great sources of antioxidants.
Green leafy vegetables: Dark green leafyvegetables like spinach, methi,coriander have beta-carotene as well as are rich in vitamins A, C, E, and even calcium. They are also a rich source of potassium and magnesium.
Whole grains:Try replacing refined grains like white rice or all purpose flour (maida) with brown rice or whole wheat flour, and one can drastically increase the antioxidants level in their diet. These whole grains provide the antioxidant nutrients like selenium and zinc. They are also rich in phytochemicals.
GRECOBE- An Ultimate Antioxidant
GRECOBE – Green coffee bean extract has strong anti-oxidant properties. The Green coffee bean extract has Chlorogenic acids, dietary polyphenols which act to help reduce free radicals in the body. Chlorogenic acid is a phytochemical found in green coffee beans but when the coffee beans are roasted, the chlorogenic acid is destroyed. This active ingredient makes green coffee bean an excellent agent to absorb free radicals; as well as helping to avert hydroxyl radicals, both of which contribute in the degradation of cells in the body.It’s now available in sachets as instant green coffee. It is a great health drink, which is a taste paradise too.
