1. Antioxidants

2. Important Vocabulary
Oxidation: A chemical reaction that causes damage and decay.
Antioxidant: Substances that prevent free radicals from harming your body.
Phytochemical: Substance found naturally in plants that helps prevent health issues
Hydration: To have enough water in your body

3. Oxidation
Oxidation is the process by which all things decay and humans “return to dust.”
It is the human form of rusting
Almost every substance on earth is attacked and decayed by oxygen.

4. Oxidation
This process of oxidation is one of the leading causes of illness and aging and is associated with over 200 diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

5. Free Radical A free radical is any unstable, destructive molecule.
In order to become stable, these free radicals attack and damage other molecules, making them unstable as well.
This creates a chain reaction of damage in your body, weakening cell membranes and damaging your DNA.

6. Where Do We Get Free Radicals?
Free radicals come from…
Metabolizing food
Drugs
Food additives
Preservatives
Cigarette smoke
Pesticides
Pollution
Sunlight
Radiation
Stress
Poor nutritional habits with lots of processed foods

7. How Do We Protect Ourselves From Free Radicals?
Avoid the sources of free radicals, described earlier.
Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals.

8. Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals and block oxidation from occurring.
The body can make its own antioxidants – exercise actually increases the body’s ability to make antioxidants
We can also get antioxidants from our food.

9. Sources of Antioxidants
Whole plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, are rich in antioxidants.
This is why these foods are associated with helping to prevent things like Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

10. Phytochemicals Phytochemicals are found in plants.
They have health-protective benefits, but, unlike vitamins and minerals, they are not essential for life.

11. Phytochemicals There are thousands of different phytochemicals!
Some examples include…
Lycopene (found in tomatoes and other red fruits)
Anthocyanin (gives blueberries their color)
Carotenoids (gives cantaloupe, sweet potato, and carrots their color)

12. Phytochemicals
Plants contain phytochemicals because they protect the plant from damage (fungi, bacteria, sun, etc).
When we eat plants containing phytochemicals, their benefits transfer to us, reducing our risk of health problems, including…
Heart Disease
Cancer
Diabetes

13. Phytochemicals: How Much Do You Need?
You can get all the phytochemicals you need by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.
The brighter and richer the color, the more phytochemicals!

14. Water Water is essential to life.
Water makes up about % of your body weight.
Water hydrates us and keeps our body in good working order.

15. What Does Water Do? Medium for chemical reactions
Regulate body temperature
Fills cells, the space between them, and acts as a lubricant
Helps carry nutrients to cells
Removes waste
Aids digestion and movement of nutrients through intestines
Cushions joints and tissues
Moisturizes eyes, mouth, nose, skin, and the air you breath

16. Where Do We Get Water?
The water we drink only accounts for about 55% of the water we consume in a day.
Another 30% comes from eating, and an additional 15% is created by your body as a result of chemical reactions when food is digested.

17. How To Tell If You Are Hydrated
We lose about 2 to 3 quarts of water a day.
If we don’t get enough water, we can become dehydrated.
Signs include…
Thirst
Dark urine
Dry lips and skin
Constipation
Headaches
Dizziness
Nausea
Muscle fatigue

18. Best Way To Get Enough Water
The best way to stay hydrated is to drink water because it is not mixed with other ingredients, like sugar or artificial ingredients.
Note that caffeine in coffee, sodas, and tea, is a diuretic, meaning it makes you loose more water.

19. How to Maximize Health and Minimize Free Radicals
Eat whole, nutrient dense foods
Reduce your consumption of processed foods and deep-fried foods
Minimize exposure to sun and pollutants, such as pesticides and cigarettes
Exercise
Drink plenty of water

20. Oxidation
Most oxygen in the air is in the form of O2,which is a stable form of oxygen.
Sometimes, oxygen in the air isn’t bonded to another oxygen, making it unstable.
We call this unstable oxygen a free radical.

21. Free Radical
Some free radicals are helpful because they help us fight inflammation, kill bacteria, and maintain muscle tone in our blood vessels.
However, to avoid damage, we need balance and must make sure we don’t get more free radicals than we need

22. Picture Credits
Free Radical: radicals-in-the-skin/
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Antioxidants: