You are rusting!

You have seen pieces of metal that rust as they are being broken down by oxygen. This is called oxidation, and as we age, we too are oxidizing. Oxidation breaks down our cells, causing them to age and die.  They can damage our genes which, if not repaired, can cause mutations resulting in cancer, among other diseases.1 It is oxidation that is a cause of aging.2

Antioxidants to the rescue.

The good news is our bodies have a defense squad of antioxidants that repair the damage of oxidation and can prevent diseases. Eating foods that contain antioxidants can slow down the oxidation process.

Where can you get antioxidants?

Antioxidant-rich foods are only in plants, while animal foods like meat, chicken, and fish are extremely low in antioxidants.3 Berries like blueberries and strawberries are high in antioxidants, as are vegetables like kale and spinach.3 You can tell which plant food is low in antioxidants by cutting it open and see if it turns brown. Apples and bananas turn brown oxidizing rapidly. You can stop this oxidation by putting lemon juice on them, which has the antioxidant vitamin C.

How about an antioxidant-rich smoothie for breakfast?

The Standard American Diet (SAD) has only about 25 antioxidant units. For example, eggs have 8 units, and corn flakes have 25 (based on a modified FRAP assay).4 My morning smoothie has well over 1000 antioxidant units beating all the SAD breakfasts for all week. It consists of many items like fruit, lots of blueberries and lots of leaves like spinach. It can counteract oxidation, promoting health, and strengthening your immune system. This antioxidant smoothie can help fight off diseases from the common cold to cancer.

Check out the YouTube video.

References

1. Emerit I. Reactive oxygen species, chromosome mutation, and cancer: possible role of clastogenic factors in carcinogenesis. Free Radic Biol Med. 1994;16( 1): 99– 109.

2. Harman D. The biologic clock: the mitochondria? J Am Geriatr Soc. 1972;20( 4): 145– 7.

3. Carlsen MH, Halvorsen BL, Holte K, et al. The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide. Nutr J. 2010 Jan 22;9: 3.

4. Greger M, Stone G. How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. New York, NY: Flatiron Books; 2015:56.