Antioxidants can't do miracles - but they will slow down your aging process.

Lots of people have been talking about antioxidants and their role in our diets lately. The topic is now clearly trendy, but as with everything that can be quickly sold, most articles you can find about it are "static" and their informational value is near zero. That's why before you start sifting the Net in search of information about specific antioxidants, some short review of what they really are is in order.

An antioxidant is basically a chemical that slows down the rate of the oxidation reaction. Why are they important as a part of a diet? That's simple: the main direct reason of the aging and body cell damages in general is the oxidation process. Everything that can slow this down, effectively minimizes the rate the cells dies in our bodies, making us healthier and reducing (to a degree) the speed of aging.

However, the fact that antioxidants can act at such a low level (they affect single cells) means also that the exact (non-statistic) results are relatively hard to notice. This opens a door to all kinds of charlatans who try to sell antioxidants as a "universal cure". Below there's a short list of what antioxidants do, possibly do and can't do at all.

• Antioxidants in our diet:
• Slow down the aging process or at least make it much more gently,
• Improve the immune system,
• Prevent macular degeneration, cataracts and some other eye problems.
• They are supposed to:
• Have a serious anticarcinogenic effect, as they prevent the cellular DNA damages,
• Reduce the chances of cardiovascular diseases.
• But they surely can't:
• Reduce your weight - no matter how much antioxidants you will take,
• Be taken freely in extremely large quantities as food supplements.

There are a lot about their chemistry we do not understand. Some of them leave the body relatively soon, some recirculate other antioxidants (like Vitamin E) and others may have a moderating effects on insulin - no one is sure why. In short, any antioxidant is a welcome guest in your diet, but they are not "wonder pills" and they won't solve any of your problems all by themselves.

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