If you want to keep seeing twenty-twenty, try spinach. Preliminary research shows that eating spinach may slow the development of macular degeneration, the number one cause of blindness in older adults.
The study showed the short-term vision of older males with the disease was improved by eating 4 to 7 ounces of spinach per day. Spinach is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that scientists believe may protect the retina.
Other vegetables and fruits with high concentrations of these antioxidants include corn, kiwi fruit, grapes, oranges, and zucchini.
RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that includes four servings
of fruit, five servings of vegetables, and six servings of breads
and grains a day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.
(Provided by RealAge.com)
For years, natural therapists and consumers have credited vitamins and plant nutrients for good health, especially in the prevention of illness. However, within the medical profession this idea has never really been accepted, primarily because there has been a lack of understanding of how these important nutrients prevent disease. The good news is that the scientific validation is coming to the surface.
Today, the terms “free-radicals” and “antioxidants” are appearing routinely in most physicians’ journals. Indeed, they seem to be the “buzzwords” these days and constitute a very valid and rewarding research subject. This research has lead to a generally accepted theory explaining why the body ages and develops disease states such as cancer and arthritis.
Ironically, it is the same free radicals that appear in the air that gives us life that also cause iron to rust, fruit to turn brown and the body cells to break down with age. Through a series of chemical changes, oxygen molecules in our body lose electrons, making them unstable. These unstable molecules are called “free radicals.” During the attempt to stabilize themselves, free radicals will “steal” electrons from all healthy cells they come across. Every time they steal an electron from the healthy cells, the healthy cells deteriorate and eventually disintegrate into fragments. These fragments are also called free radicals. The process repeats itself and this activity eventually damages the body.
Inside the blood vessels, the damage caused by free radicals stays in the walls of the blood vessels, causing cholesterol and blood platelets to begin to stick. Gradually plaque sticks to the damaged artery wall and over time the area becomes poorly sup-plied with blood. If the blood vessels to the brain are blocked, the brain may start to degenerate and give rise to deterioration of mental functions or cause a stroke. Many muscles and tissues that depend on having an ample supply of blood also start to retreat and degenerate. Occasionally this blockage becomes critical enough that it will give rise to what we call a “heart attack” when the coronary artery and blood vessels that supply the heart are blocked.
Other than in the blood vessels, damage also occurs on a smaller scale at the enzyme and molecular level of the cells. Some of these molecules are damaged and some of the enzymes become inactivated when they are damaged by free radicals.
Another level where these free radicals attack is at the fundamental “building blocks” of the body - the genetic or DNA level. When the genetic material that dictates how the body functions and reproduces is damaged, serious illness can result. In fact, the body may end up producing anti-bodies to attack itself, a process known as auto immune disease. As well, the cells may begin a process of rapidly reproducing without knowing when to stop. This gives rise to various cancers or cell mutations.
Other than the free radicals the body produces naturally, we also become exposed to free radicals through the environment -from the ultra-violet radiation of the sun, from the saturated fat that we consume and from the chemicals we knowingly and unknowingly ingest.
Fortunately our bodies produce a form of “rust-proofing” to protect against the process of rusting. We call these substances “antioxidants.” These antioxidants carry an extra electron and seem to be able to neutralize and render the damaging free radicals harmless. The most prominent of these antioxidants are beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and the mineral selenium. Many minerals and plant nutrients traditionally believed to be useful have now been tested to be very high in antioxidant activity. Other than those nutrients mentioned above, supplements such as grape-seed extract, various herbs, plant nutrients (phy-tonutrients) and healthy food all seem to have tested to have strong antioxidant properties.
By keeping ourselves well nourished with a variety of foods and food supplements containing these antioxidants - such as beta-carotene from deep green or bright orange fruits and veg-etables, Vitamin C from grapefruit juice or sweet red peppers and Vitamin E from vegetable oil, nuts and seeds - we can help fight off the damage caused by free radicals. But these three essential antioxidants are not the only ones. Many other trace elements, plants and vitamins have been identified to be high in antioxidant activity.
So, as you can see, consuming a wide variety of foods and food supplements is the best way to maximize our storage and intake of antioxidants and prevent the negative effects of a “rusting” body.
Article reprinted from Lifestyles Tenth Anniversary - The News of Success Magazine - Vol 9, No 2 - December 1999