To understand what an antioxidant is we first have to know what an OXIDANT is. Also known as a “free radical,” these are basically unstable atoms that enter our bodies and cause oxidative stress. They come in a myriad of ways including pollution in the air we breathe, chemicals our skin comes in contact with, radiation from UV light, pesticides, alcohol and so on. They are directly related to disease, cancer, and aging skin and wrinkles. If we’re not actively trying to fight free radicals in our bodies, we can kiss youthful, glowing skin goodbye.
So ANTI-oxidants are definitely something we all want more of, especially if we’re trying to fight wrinkles and preserve healthy glowing skin. But what are they and how do they work?
An antioxidant is a molecule that, like a free radical, is unstable. However, instead of taking what it needs from healthy molecules in our bodies, the way a free radical does (causing disease, aging, etc), they take from free radicals to make themselves stable. This then causes the free radical to become stable as well and decreases the amount of oxidative stress on the body. And it’s that oxidative stress that’s responsible for aging skin.
So how do we get more antioxidants into our bodies every day?
The very simple answer is to eat more whole foods. Unprocessed foods of plant or animal varieties all contain antioxidants that literally go in and find whatever unstable free radicals are hanging out inside of us causing all kinds of damage, including dull, wrinkly, sagging skin, and slows those processes down. And the more antioxidants we ingest, the slower the aging process becomes.
Two essential forms of antioxidants (one’s that we can’t live without) are vitamins C and E. But there are many more antioxidants out there and, although we may not die without them, they definitely help to keep our skin looking youthful and fight against diseases. And they can be found in the highest quantities in the form of dark colored fruits and vegetables.
Black berries, blueberries (especially wild blueberries!), dark sweet cherries, cranberries, strawberries (are you sensing a berry pattern here?) dark leafy greens, dark chocolate and even coffee contain the highest levels of antioxidants that will give you the most bang for your buck as far as preventing wrinkles from the inside out. So getting a few servings of these foods into your body every day will definitely ensure that you’re doing your part to fight the aging process and help your skin glow.
Read How To Structure the Ultimate Skincare Routine to get even more tips on how to get healthy glowing skin!
This is just a short list of foods that contain the highest amounts of antioxidants, but all whole foods contain some and any little bit helps so don’t just stick to the list. It’s important that we “eat the rainbow” and get a variety of whole foods into our diets. And remember, these foods have to be eaten in their whole forms. This means your blueberry muffin does not count as a serving of blueberries. In fact, most processed foods like this will only make the aging process quicker. And at the rate that we’re exposed to free radicals we should be doing everything in our power to fight them off! So keep whole foods in their most natural forms, expose them to minimal amounts of heat (no frying), and when safe, eat raw to get the most anti-oxidive effects! Some of my favorite ways to get the most antioxidants out of my food are through fruit and veggie packed smoothies, salads, soups and stews.
