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Antioxidants

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Submitted By JFernandez92
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When the body turns food into energy one of the inevitable by products are free radicals, which are capable of damaging genetic material and cells. Free radicals can alter a substances structure and function by stealing electrons if available. The body has natural defenses against these free radicals which are called antioxidants; they work by giving electrons to the free radicals without then having the antioxidants search for electrons. There are many different antioxidants some of the more common ones include beta carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.
There are many claims out there that taking antioxidant supplements or increasing our intake of foods containing antioxidants will prevent heart disease, cancer, and other conditions. In Vitamin E trials done on people who had been diagnosed with coronary disease showed no benefit. One study showed that people who take antioxidant supplements have an increased risk of death and not opposite which has been the idea behind antioxidants for many years. Take into consideration that these studies were short in duration and many of the test subjects already had an existing disease. While we may not know much about antioxidants and whether or not they are beneficial or harmful towards a person’s overall health, it is important to keep in mind that living a healthy lifestyle and eating healthy whole fruits, vegetables, and grains can help prevent many diseases.

http://www.webmd.com/news/20070227/antioxidant-supplements-up-death-risk http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/#potential hazards of antioxidants
I used these sources as WebMD because it is a reliable source of information and the article had input from various doctors knowledgeable in this field of study. I also used the Harvard School of Public Health article on antioxidants; it is a reliable source of information as it is a very well-known university and the article listed many studies and trials as its sources.

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