Natural Immune Defense - Antioxidants

by Sam Lozano
There is a group of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes called Antioxidants that help to protect the body from the formation of free radicals. Free Radicals are atoms or groups of atoms that can cause damage to cells, impairing the immune system and leading to infections and various degenerative diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Free radical damage is thought by scientists to be the basis for the aging process as well. There are a number of known free radicals that occur in the body, they may be formed by exposure to the environment or various metabolic processes. Free radicals are normally kept in check by the action of Free Radical Scavengers that occur naturally in the body. These scavengers neutralize the Free Radicals. Four important enzymes that neutralize free radicals are Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Methionine Reductase, Catalase, and Glutathione Peroxidase. The body makes these as a matter of course. There are also a number of nutrients that act as Antioxidants, including Vitamin A, Beta-carotene, Vitamins C and E, and the mineral Selenium. Another antioxidant is the hormone Melatonin, which is a powerful Free Radical neutralizer. Although many Antioxidants can be obtained from food sources it is difficult to get enough of them from these sources to hold back the Free Radicals constantly being generated in our polluted environment. We can minimize Free Radical damage by taking supplements of key nutrients. A high intake of Antioxidant nutrients appears to be especially protective against cancer.