The richly pigmented plants prove to be the simplest way to discover and track down where real antioxidant amount are to be found. Superfoods ranging from cacao to acai to goji berries to spirulina to blue-green algae to marine phytoplankton all contain very-rich antioxidant content. 

Antioxidants could be water or fat soluble. All raw, pure fats and oils are antioxidants as they consist of excess electrons. That means, that not just are richly-colored foods packed with antioxidants, but so are all raw avocados, olives, nuts, and seeds. 

Antioxidants are known to stop runaway free radicals. Free radicals act like bad drunks because they create problems in every cell they touch. Free radicals are aggressive oxygen molecules that oxidize and harm tissue. Free radical damage has been implicated in numerous symptoms ranging from skin wrinkles all the way to cancer. 

According to the free radical theory, the more antioxidants you consume, the better, due to the ability of antioxidants to deactivate and quench free radicals. 

Not only are antioxidants have the capability of quieting free radicals, some antioxidants have medicinal value. The xanthone antioxidants in the skin of the mangosteen fruit are known to combat the organisms that cause rheumatism and arthritis better than any other known botanical substance. The blue-pigment antioxidants in blue-green algae help increase the organic production of stem cells. For these reasons both of these antioxidants have been mixed into a dynamic popular antioxidant formula we created called Blue Mangosteen. 

Vitamins C, A, and E are considered antioxidants. Vitamin A is a metabolite of beta-carotene, a red pigment commonly found in plants (e.g. carrots, goji berries, etc.). Vitamin C is a popular antioxidant with a tremendous volume of research behind it. We believe that organic vitamin C sources (Camu berry) instead of simply ascorbic acid are best. Vitamin E has undergone substantial revision in recent years as its antioxidant value differs with quality and type (tocotrienols or tocopherols). Tocotrienols are stronger Vitamin E antioxidants than tocopherols. 

Some atomic minerals, such as zinc and selenium, are considered antioxidants, but they’re not capable of antioxidant action by themselves. These antioxidant minerals must work in conjunction with antioxidant enzymes in order to be efficient. 

The only known atom that acts individually as an antioxidant is hydrogen. Hydrogen neutralizes free radicals quickly (and completely) with no byproducts leftover except water. Dr. Flanagan’s MegaHydrate (a hydrogen supplement) has an ORAC score roughly ten times higher than any known food thus making MegaHydrate possibly the world’s strongest antioxidant supplement. 

The ORAC Score 

The ORAC score is a scientific standard that determines which foods or substances have substantial antioxidant values. The higher the ORAC rating, the greater is the substance’s power as an antioxidant. ORAC scores increase as substances are reduced to powders because the surface area increases making the antioxidants more available. Rudolf Steiner believed, as did the great Vedic herbalists, that you could increase the value of an herb or food by properly drying and powdering it. No doubt, that they intuitively understood that by properly drying and powdering a substance you increase its antioxidant value making the substance even more effective. 

In case we look at the ORAC values of certain foods, we can begin to see the key antioxidant-rich foods. Of all major foods on the planet, cacao (raw chocolate) delivers the most antioxidants. Cacao (raw chocolate) is the richest antioxidant food in the world. 

In 2007, a colleague and I took a trip to Hort Research in New Zealand. Hort is the preeminent antioxidant research facility in the world. There, the researchers explained to us that not only are the ORAC score important, what is perhaps even more valuable is how well the antioxidants present in the foods are absorbed into the blood stream. They told us that their evidence indicates that consuming cacao with berries may triple the absorption of the antioxidants (found in both foods) into the blood. 

Antioxidant Blood Tests 

Raw foodists and super foodists consistently score higher than the rest of the population in antioxidant blood tests. This proof supports the ideas outlined within this article that richly pigmented foods such as raw fruits, vegetables, and superfoods (cacao nibs, goji berries, camu berry, acai, spirulina, blue-green algae, marine phytoplankton, etc.) as well as raw fats and oils (nuts, seeds, olive oil, flax seed oil, hempseed oil, etc.) are all powerful antioxidants. 

In reality, based on the evidence provided by Hort Research, superfoods like goji berries and cacao or cacao and acai or cacao and camu berry when combined in smoothies or snacks create a synergistic effect thus increasing the utilization of the antioxidants. This is yet another piece of evidence indicating that the habit of combining unique superfood ingredients in smoothies or snacks is being increasingly validated by science. 

Products: 

Cacao powder, Cacao nibs, Sacred Heart Chocolate, Cacao butter, Blue Mangosteen (medicinal antioxidants), Tocotrienols (The Best Vitamin E Ever), Spirulina, Acai, Marine Phytoplankton, Blue-Green Algae, Pure Radiance C, Camu Berry powder, Bee Pollen (extraordinary content of natural electrons)
 

About the Author

For more information on Antioxidants Benefits, please visit our health related website bewellbuzz.com

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Then and now, the principles are the same though methods have altered mainly due to the application of technology and research-based applications. And so anti-aging treatments have a long way of history behind it, that as it has been proven before, it has been much improved today. Presently the scientifically-approved anti-aging methods involve the following therapies, medications and treatments:

The use of anti-agers. An example of these is caloric restriction mimetic. The administration of CRM influences cell repair or cell deaths. Melatonins are used to activate melatonin receptors and are powerful and pervasive anti oxidants.

Antiglycators. A good example is Carnosine which contains powerful anti oxidants and boosts the energy. Excess dosage could result to hyperactivity. Other similar antiglycators are tenisletam, aminoguanadine and agebrium.

Antioxidants. Vitamins are good sources of antioxidants so are foods containing resveratrol, co-enzyme Q10 and glutathione.

Complementary treatments. Natural methods using plants and herbs with nutrients that protect against specific illnesses. Complementary treatments through natural methods are also some of the oldest in anti-aging therapy. Being natural, these are the safest and often the cheapest as they could be as natural as the food on the table.

Cosmetics and Cosmetic Surgery. Deals with alteration and repair of skin and body defects that were caused by ageing, accidents and heredity. Collagen treatments, facelifts, botox, Isolagen, scar removal, rhinoplasty, lip repair, breast augmentation, and implants are only a few of the treatments that are offered. The objective being to revitalize, repair and recapture the youthfulness and glow thereby improving and enhancing a patients appearance and boosting the sense of well being.

Hormonal treatments. These are anti-aging treatments that often require the administration of bio-identical hormones like DHEA, androgens, growth hormone, estrogens and testosterone that typically improves muscle tone vigor, vitality and sexual activity.

Therapies such as treatments from stem cells, immune therapy and cell therapy.

Lifestyle change or adaptation of lifestyle alternatives. These include stress-releasing exercises, physical exercises, brain exercises, health education, calorie restriction and diet management.

Methylators. These are widely accepted to improve memory. Examples are the administration of SAMe and TMG.

Nootropics. These are also anti-aging treatments that are widely used to improve memory and cognitive ability. It is also called study enhancers and smart drugs. Nootropics are also widely available through plants, fruits and herbs. Some of products and fruits that contain or are rich in nootropic properties are the ginkgo biloba, centrophenoxine, memantine, piracetam and bacopa.

Technological advancements. Today anti-aging treatments are also applied in the likes of genetics, technology and nano technology.

Aside from this list, other medications therapies and anti-aging treatments that target very specific illnesses and defects are widely available albeit very highly specialized. In spite of different approaches, anti aging treatments tackles the same basic idea to slow, prevent or reverse the effects of aging improving the quality of life of a person.

About the Author

Lins George writes for a Cricket World Cup 2011 blog offering solutions in the form of over hundreds of original articles, reviews, videos, tips, ideas and tutorials.

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Who says you can’t have chocolate and stay healthy? Those who eat dark chocolate can lower their blood pressure and fight off heart disease. It fights free radicals, too. Unlike other types of chocolate, dark chocolate is packed full of antioxidants, the molecules that eliminate free radicals that lead to all types of diseases. It has eight times the amount of antioxidants than strawberries, making it a superfood for its disease fighting qualities. But hold the milk; studies show that milk interferes with the absorption of antioxidants.

Dark chocolate contains flavanoids called procyanidins and epicatechins; these are specific kinds of antioxidants known as polyphenols that are found in red wine, tea, and many fruits and vegetables. It also increases the blood flow in the arteries and helps reduce the risk of blood clots. If you have mildly high blood pressure, dark chocolate may help reduce it. The serotonin found in it can boost your mood and increase feelings of pleasure, also triggering a rise in endorphins. Nutritionally speaking, calcium, magnesium and potassium are another benefit of consuming dark chocolate on a regular basis.

While dark chocolate does contain fat, the type of fat present plays a large role in its health benefits. Oleic acid, which is also found in olive oil, is the fat that helps reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Stearic acid is also a fat, but it is said to have a neutral effect on cholesterol, not affecting it at all. The only type of fat to watch out for is palmiric acid, which can increase the risk for heart disease. This only makes up one third of the fat content in dark chocolate.

This doesn’t mean that you can eat as much chocolate as you wish. Dark chocolate is still high in calories and fat, no matter how beneficial the fat may be. If you are looking for quick weight loss, you might want to keep this out of your diet. If you do choose to eat it, the dark chocolate will replace something else in your diet and you will need to cut those calories out. If cravings or hunger are a problem, you might want to add a natural appetite suppressant like hoodia. This will keep you feeling full so you don’t overeat.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/stay-healthy-by-eating-chocolate-604349.html

About the Author:

Susan Patterson has been studying alternative medicine and health for over 10 years. She loves to write to help others, especially in the area of quick weight loss, which can be accomplished safely. She has found several herbal remedies to be effective in her journey to better health without the side effects that medications cause. She is particularly passionate about hoodia for weight loss. Other interests include exercise, yoga and meditation.