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For ages man has wanted to discover the route to immortality and it has remained hidden so far, but due to the vast advancement in the field of science and the disclosures of our ancient and hidden techniques and knowledge, we have been able to distance ourselves from disease, prolong our lives and have thus tasted the elixir to the fountain of youth. Some basic facts about biological aging, unknown to most of us are very interesting.
Oxygen is in fact both the ‘boon and bane’ of advanced forms of life. It allows energy release (from oxidative activity) for our lives and at the same time destroys life by forming certain unstable compounds called "free radicals" and aldehydes which are naturally produced in our body and also derived from outside sources.
Their formation is due to the oxidative activity of oxygen at the cellular level, which leads to deterioration of normal cellular functions, including the regeneration of healthy cells. Free radicals cause accelerated aging and disease. This activity gets accentuated if anti-oxidants are not sufficiently present in our body.
Anti-oxidants are specific vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and peptides whose job is to combine with these reactive free radicals, neutralise them and in turn get scarified to prevent the free radicals from doing cellular damage.
Anti-oxidants are also known to act on prostaglandin and stop inflammation.
Best foods to fight free radicals are:
Nutrients like beta carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, which is found in green vegetables (spinach, broccoli) and yellow vegetables (carrots, tomatoes) and in yellow fruits (papaya, mangoes) but is never produced in animals, is an excellent source.
Animals and fish eat plant carotene that is converted into vitamin A and stored in the liver. Animal liver, liver oils and eggs thus contain carotene.
Vitamin C: It serves as a key immune system nutrient and a potent free radical fighter. It scavenges water-soluble free radicals before they start destruction and get a chance to destroy lipids. Its regular use prevents common illnesses like common cold, prickly heat and some serious ones also like Rheumatic fever.
Main sources are: green vegetables like broccoli, drumstick, cabbage, coriander leaves, fenugreek leaves
(methi).
Citrus fruits like, lemon, orange, sweet lime (mosambi) and Indian gooseberry (amla , the richest source of natural vitamin C), guava, strawberries, papaya, pineapple, grape fruit, mango and skin of apples also contain abundant amount of vitamin C.
Vitamin E, is another powerful anti-oxidant, fat soluble (prevents vegetable oils from getting rancid). It is not synthesised in the body.
Found in fats, vegetable oils (corn, safflower and canola), margarine, nuts, seeds and wheat germ. It is also present in cereals, poultry, meat and fish. Deep-frying destroys 75% of vitamin E.
Vitamin B complex such as B-1, 2,6 and 12 act as co-factors necessary for synthesis of anti-oxidant enzymes by the body. Found in cereals, milk, pulses, meat, fish and eggs.
Foods:
- Lycopene, is a powerful anti-oxidant carotene and the pigment that gives tomatoes, watermelon, guava and pink grapefruit their characteristic red colour. It is commonly also consumed as ketchup, tomato juice, spaghetti and pizza sauce. It does not dissipate during the cooking of tomato product and can often be concentrated due to the cooking process.
- Avocados fight free radicals and contains vitamin A, E and some minerals. It has more fat than any other fruit. It turns sour on cooking hence use it as raw fruit for salads.
- Wheat grass, is an excellent anti-oxidant. Cultivated from red wheat germ variety in pots and grass is harvested regularly, eaten raw or made into a paste/juice. Raw grass is difficult to digest.
- Apricot and peaches are good anti-oxidants, rich in vitamin C and A.
—The author is managing director of Personal Point and an acclaimed fitness expert
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