Antioxidants are compounds found primarily in plants that protect us from damaging free radicals and oxidative stress. Decades of research suggest a diet full of antioxidant-rich foods protects us from disease. Foods rich in vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene, selenium, and phytochemicals provide us with antioxidants. A simple strategy to increase your antioxidants is to eat an abundance of colorful plants every day.

Fights Free Radicals

Antioxidants help protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive, unstable molecules that are trying to become stable by acquiring an electron to make themselves stable. They attack a molecule that is close by, such as a lipid or protein, and steal an electron.

Now the molecule with the stolen electron becomes a free radical and attacks another nearby molecule creating a chain reaction. All this theft creates damage to our cells and DNA. Enough damage and we end up with premature aging and diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Unfortunately, free radicals are created naturally when we breathe, exercise, and convert food to energy. There are also environmental sources of free radicals such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, and sunlight. We, therefore, need an abundance of antioxidants to stop all these thieves.

Reduces Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress occurs when we lack balance and it can damage our body and brain. It’s associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, mental stress, depression, and memory loss.

Oxidative stress is also associated with inflammation which is a key driver in chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and mood disorders like depression. There is a constant battle here since oxidative stress increases inflammation, and inflammation increases free radicals leading to oxidative stress.

The body does its best to stop oxidative stress. It will produce an arsenal of antioxidants, but the body’s internal antioxidant system alone is not enough. Antioxidants, like Vitamin C, help reduce inflammation. The diet must be rich in plants to reduce the constant bombardment of free radicals successfully.

Boosts Brain Health

The brain is especially susceptible to free radicals. The hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in learning and memory, takes a big hit. Oxidative stress not only kills cells in the hippocampus but also reduces the growth of new brain cells. There is growing research showing a connection between a deficient antioxidant defense system, oxidative stress, and mood disorders. Another reason why having a diet rich in antioxidants is important is to decrease the loss of neurons due to oxidative stress, which is linked to the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Allow yourself to get accustomed to eating an antioxidant rich diet while on the HCG Diet Plan. Fill your plate with an arrangement of colors with broccoli, squash, spinach, kale, avocados, red cabbage and apples. Not only will your waistline thank you but your whole body will too.