It’s Essential to Fight Free Radicals
Produced as a normal part of your body’s metabolism, some free radicals are essential for dealing with viruses and bacteria. But too many free radicals can create inflammation and disrepair in your body, even causing you to age from the inside out.
So what is a free radical? It’s simply a molecule that is missing an electron. And since it doesn’t have one, it goes out and finds the closest molecule it can steal one from. Unfortunately, that starts a chain reaction that can disrupt and damage cells. This free radical damage accumulates as time goes on, increasing your risk for serious health issues.
What increases your risk for free radical damage?
Free radical production happens every time we breathe, every time we eat, and even when you exercise. And your body can deal with some of it. Yet certain environmental factors ramp up free radical production to levels higher than your body can handle. Things like:
- Pollution
- Toxins
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- Radiation
- Cigarette smoke
So how can your body handle the daily assault on its cells? Antioxidants.
Antioxidants are the secret weapon that fight free radicals.
Antioxidants are the healthy compounds found in fruits, vegetables and herbs which helpfully donate an electron to the free radical. These donated electrons shut down the free radical chain reaction and allow your cells to get back to work.
Some antioxidants you’ve probably heard of— like vitamin C or E— while others may sound unfamiliar, such as anthocyanins, polyphenols or carotenoids, each a class of antioxidants found in foods that have healthful properties as important as any vitamin.
Antioxidant-rich foods are linked to a host of benefits for heart health, bone health and immune support, with clinical studies published in prestigious journals, including:
- Antioxidant-rich diet shows a reduced heart attack risk of 20-29% in women: (The American Journal of Medicine)
- Higher intakes of antioxidant-rich vegetables, lutein and zeaxanthin associated with a lower risk of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
- Vitamin C may reduce the effects of air pollution on asthma, COPD: (Epidemiology)
- Fruits and vegetables beneficial for bone density: (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
Why Plant-Based Antioxidants are Best
It’s important to note the health benefits observed have only happened in studies with food-based antioxidants. Single isolates (or synthetic supplements) have NOT delivered the same results, and in fact, have often shown harm.
In reality, science has yet to replicate nature. Plants are filled with hundreds of natural compounds, many yet to be discovered or defined, all working together in harmony. Many supplement providers source isolated nutrients, typically derived from chemicals, not food.
Touchstone Essentials has chosen a different path, offering an antioxidant supplement created from whole foods. Inside are organic ingredients harvested at the peak of nutrition, with cold-processing to preserve all the goodness. It’s a concentrated whole food supplement that is part of your daily anti-aging defense against free radicals.
