Antioxidants: Why are they important? Starting with this newsletter I will be doing a series on the involvement of Antioxidants in our health.

Lets start with what they are and why they are important and each week we will dig a little deeper into why they are so important to our health.

Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that are found in foods and also manufactured by our bodies. They are critical for optimal health.

Literally thousands of scientific studies have comfirmed that antioxidants can help prevent numerous diseases and will not only enhance life, but in all probability extend life.

What if I told you there were a pill that would keep your mind sharp, your heart strong and keep your body youthful well into your 80's, 90's, and beyond? What if I told you there was a pill that could improve your sex life or prevent cancer? What about a pill that could keep your skin supple and wrinkle-free?

The pills I am talking about really exist and are readily available! I am talking about antioxidants, a family of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Antioxidants work together in the body to maintain our health and vigor. They do this by protecting us from damage caused by free radicals, which can injure healthy cells and tissues. The body produces free radicals in the normal course of energy production, but there are also substances in our environment- certain chemicals, smoke, pollutants, solar radiation- that trigger the production of free radicals. Scientists now believe that free radicals are causal factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancer to cataracts. They are in fact, the major culprit in the aging process itself. By contolling free radicals, antioxidants can make the difference between life and dealth, as well as influence how fast and how well we age.

The more we understand about antioxidants and how they work, the more we will understand and appreciate the role they play in keepng you healthy and happy. I think their role is nothing less than miraculous!

Over the next few weeks we will explore their role in our health.
If you want to read more on your own read some of Lester Packer's books "the Father of Antioxdants" or James F. Balch's books.

Make sure you are not taking supplements that work against each other. If you are some of what you are taking could make others not work.

We will discuss this in another issue so stay tuned.