We hear a lot about the benefits of antioxidants in our beauty products and our food, but why are they good for us and how can we cram more into our diet? Antioxidants are molecules that combat free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage the body’s cells. Some antioxidants — compounds in food like vitamins C and E that fight oxidative damage to cells in the body — can protect brain health by preventing neurodegeneration and, because of their anti-inflammatory properties, they can also reduce tissue damage. We need lots of these antioxidants as we age.
Sarcopenia , or age-related muscle loss, can start as early as your 30s, with muscle mass decreasing up to 8 per cent a decade, and it’s understood we also peak cognitively about age 30. To ward off this decline, a new study from Japan suggests antioxidants may have a role to play, by maintaining muscle mass and cognitive function as we age. What’s more, higher intakes of antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and legumes are associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality, so including more of them in our diet is a nutritional no-brainer.
Here are six tasty ways to make sure you are getting enough. Boost your vitamin C with this smoothie Vitamin C’s crucial role in supporting immunity is well known, but it’s also a potent antioxidant. The body cannot store vitamin C, so it’s important to have some daily.
Get ahead with my vitamin C-rich “sunshine smoothie” for breakfast that .