The Vast Benefits of Antioxidants

benefits of antioxidants by gareth edwards

This week Gareth Edwards, our highly qualified nutritionist and alkaline diet expert, is writing about the vast range of benefits of antioxidants. He explains why in order to stay healthy it is very important to give our body antioxidants which fight free radicals inside the body.

The Vast Benefits of Antioxidants by Gareth Edwards

So how are those post Christmas “detox” plans going? I had a euphoric e-mail from one of my patients telling me how much better she was feeling after going through three days of Ross’s alkaline cleanse. Out the other side, she was feeling so much better and ready for a year of alkalising and a diet high in fresh plant alkaline foods.

Alkaline Diet Recipe Book BannerThat’s great, but why is it that 5 (or even 12) portions of vegetables or low sugar fruits are so widely advocated by governments and (virtually!) all health professionals. I have a 300 page scientifically referenced book on the desk next to me dedicated solely to that subject. The conclusion ……. we’re not totally sure why, but increasing your intake of fibre, vitamin and mineral rich plant foods does seem to reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases such as arthritis, cardio-vascular disease and cancer.

One of the areas of inquiry that is discussed in the book is the beneficial anti-oxidant activity of certain plant compounds. Why on earth, you might ask, would you want something in your body that is an anti-oxidant, when surely we need oxygen for life? An oxidation reaction is actually the creation of a substance containing less hydrogen atoms (or ions) or less electrons. That will generally mean the creation of a more acidic substance.

Substances which cause oxidation are created in the body by the metabolism of food to produce energy and outside the body, by combustion processes (e.g. the burning of fossil fuels). These substances are sometimes referred to as “free radicals”.

These highly reactive chemical species can cause destructive damage to cellular structures and fluids in the body, but, perversely small quantities of them are needed for signalling in body systems. It is therefore imperative that our bodies have adequate resources to “defuse” free radicals and prevent free radical damage.

 

What Damage can Free Radicals Cause?

There are certain structures in our bodies that are particularly susceptible to damage by highly reactive chemical entities. Our cell membranes are largely made from poly-unsaturated fats (that’s part of the reason you need healthy vegetable oils like Udo’s Choice). The chemical structure of these fats means that they can easily be damaged or altered by free radicals. This is called lipid per-oxidation. Leaky or damaged cell membranes are ….. not good!

Another mechanism by which free radicals can damage your health is through disrupting the delicate chemical structure of DNA. This is the genetic coding that “sequences” the “manufacture” of our body parts. Free radicals can also damage or destroy proteins that act as signalling mechanisms and help catalyse (accelerate) certain chemical reactions in the body.

How to Maintain your Body’s Anti-Oxidant Capability:

You can imagine that keeping free radicals “at bay” is …… important! Our bodies produce chemicals that do that. Two of these are super-oxide-dismutase (SOD!) and glutathione peroxidase. One way to boost your body’s oxidant diffusing capability is to take glutathione.

You can also increase your consumption of nutrients that promote the production of these substances. Vitamins A (found as beta-carotene in green leafy vegetables) C (present in all raw vegetables and low sugar fruits) and E (found in nuts, seeds ,avocados and raw vegetable oils). Selenium (found in sesame seeds, brazil nuts and sprouted lentils) and zinc (also found in sprouted beans and seeds and almonds).

Other plant substances are believed to have anti-oxidant capabilities. Research however shows that this is just one facet of plants health promoting facets and that anti-oxidant substances act in concert with each other (synergistically).

Anti-Oxidants at the Flick of a Switch:

For those of you that have read Ross’s articles (encyclopaedia!) on water, you are probably aware that one of the benefits of a water ioniser is that it increases the oxygen / reduction potential (ORP). Your alkaline water from the ioniser will have a negative charge allowing to react with the positive charge of oxidising agents.

 

Anti-Oxidant Boosting Plan:

Remember that there is plenty of scientific evidence to support the health benefits of eating a diet rich beta-carotene and vitamin C (both present in dark green leafy and other fresh, raw vegetables and low sugar fruits, such as tomatoes). Avocados and fresh nuts and seeds are high in vitamin E. Adding further supplements of food based anti-oxidants (rather than isolated synthetically produced vitamins – like ascorbic acid) could be beneficial. Taking glutathione or drinking electron (negative charged) rich water should help your body prevent oxidative damage too.

Note: This blog is only my opinion. It is not medical advice or diagnosis. Only opinions based upon our own personal experiences or information detailed in medical/academic journals or other publications is cited. WE DO NOT OFFER MEDICAL ADVICE or prescribe any treatments. Please consult with a medical professional before making any diet or nutrition changes.

 


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  1. Jonathan Reply

    Hallo Ross, I am very small framed the most I have ever weighed is 7stone 8 since being on ph diet I have lost 8lb, all my health tests are brilliant and I’ve never felt so well but is there a way to put on weight on this diet,
    Many thanks, jonathan

    • Ross Reply

      Hi

      If you search on the right of this page for ‘muscle’ you’ll find some posts about this.

      Thanks
      Ross

  2. Jonathan Reply

    Hi Ross, I’m enjoying your new newsletter, one question I have is since going on ph diet and have a lot of raw food I find( I am sorry to get personnel) I have a lot of diahhorea, can you suggest how I can over come this, Jonathan

  3. claire Reply

    Hi
    Loved this article thanks! – but why would Gareth call his clients ‘patients’ a term usually used by doctors? it feels in my opinion to instantly puts his ‘client’ in a state of disempowerment?
    Just had to comment as I thought it – and as I was thinking it my friend who was reading the article said the same thing…. thanks again though!

  4. Espen Reply

    Great articles! Keep it up. Wedensday is the highlight of my week=)
    Have a question thought. Have read the book Ph-miracle: Balance your diet, reclaim your health, but if I want to go even further down in detail how the alkaline diet works. About the scientifics of the theory. Which book do you recommend if there is such a book?

  5. Scott Reply

    Eating a diet rich in nutrients, as mother nature had intended is key to reverse the aging effects of free radical damage. Also due to the way food is produced in the world today there is usually a nutritional gap that exists in almost everyones diet. This gap needs to be bridged by a solid performing whole food nutritional supplement. One that is containing up to 27 servings of raw fruit, veg and berry per day with the water, sugar and salt removed. One that has been researched and shown to be effective by leading universities and institutions around the globe. Juice Plus is the product that steps up and meets the demand and need for this type of nutritional supplementation in your day to day dietary regime.

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