By now, I suspect that you have been familiarized with Oxidation & Antioxidants since there is a great deal of media coverage given to this subject.

Oxidation relates to cancer, heart attack, cholesterol, disease and the process of aging. Becoming knowledgeable in this area will help improve both your diet and your choice of food supplements, and your general health.

Oxidation is a "chemical term" used to describe the process when materials combine with Oxygen and produce energy while simultaneously degrading the original material.

To illustrate lets look at a piece of paper. If you burn the paper you will be left with ashes, and in the process of burning the paper a chemical process will have taken place. Energy is released as the paper combines with fire and oxygen, and the paper is degraded into ashes. Oxygen-led degradation is commonplace in daily life, its effect range from metal rusting to coffee becoming acidic.

Long ago a chemist named what was going on "oxidation," because oxygen was needed to complete the process. Over time, more theories about "oxidation" have developed to the point of where there are now three theories.

The most recent theory states that Oxygen always steals an electron from the material it is combining with, because oxygen loves electrons (electrons are atomic components of every material). Oxidation's stealing of electrons is what causes the degradation of oxidized materials.

Biologically, oxidation is inevitable in the human body and in many cases, it has undesirable effects. For example, oxidation continuously breaks down the cells that make up our skin. Yet, this same corrosive force is necessary for our body's survival: Oxygen helps break down the foods we eat.

Our bodies have an automatic system to avoid the paradox of needing oxygen, and at the same time, needing to avoid oxygen in order to prevent oxidation. The body's way to overcome oxidation is to have a third anti-oxidant in our system: Natural antioxidants.

Antioxidants are used to combat dangerous free radicals (any atom or molecular fragment with a free electron) in our body. Free radicals will be oxidized unless we eat the proper foods and have a healthy lifestyle. Thus, through proper diet and lifestyle the effects of oxidation are controllable.

However, if your food doesn't contain natural antioxidants, or if you take in too much oxidized material, the body's system becomes overwhelmed. Then, if you don't change your habits, you risk causing total calamity in your body.

When ailments start to develop from the effects of oxidation, (they can take place in any part of your body) your body will start to show symptoms. Typically, these symptoms result from our cell walls having succumbed to the devastation of oxidation and having lost functionality.

This is why is imperative to continually consume antioxidants, so your system can fight oxidation.

Next time we will discuss what is the best way to avoid being oxidized?

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