The Power of Antioxidants
If you’re into health and wellness, chances are that you will have probably heard of antioxidants. There’s a lot of information floating around about antioxidants and how they can benefit our health but what are antioxidants exactly and can we ensure we get enough of them?
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances that help protect your cells against free radicals by neutralising them. Free radicals are complex but in simple terms they are unstable atoms that can lead to cell damage. So it’s safe to say, we want to reap all the amazing benefits of antioxidants, but how?
How can I consumer more antioxidants?
You can get antioxidants from a number of different sources. The first place you should start is your diet. We all know a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is important but there are certain foods you can consume that are rich in antioxidants such as:
- Foods rich in Vitamin C such as peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits, leafy vegetables, broccoli and potatoes.
- Foods rich in Vitamin E such as almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, sweet potatoes and avocado
- Foods rich in Selenium such as brazil nuts, fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, grain products, wheat bran, beans, oat bran and eggs
Want to know more about how you can improve your diet? Request a consultation with Get A Drip ambassadors and nutritionists, Rhaya Jordan and Pippa Campbell.
What antioxidant-rich supplements can I take?
Glutathione
Often referred to as the Master Antioxidant, Glutathione is a very small protein that boosts the utilization of other antioxidants such as Vitamin C, E, CoQ10 and Alpha Lipoic Acid (which we’ll talk about soon). Glutathione is responsible for a host of functions that improve communication between cells, reduce oxidative stress and fight free radical damage, amongst other things!
Vitamin C
We’ve all heard of Vitamin C but did you know that it’s also a powerful antioxidant and that can strengthen your body’s natural defences? Vitamin C supports the immune system and is vital for many other areas of the body such as collagen formation for healthy skin, muscles and bones. It is essential for the nervous system and it increases the absorption of iron which helps with energy levels.
CoQ10
Although we produce Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) naturally, our levels of CoQ10 begins to decrease as we age. Cells use CoQ10 for growth and maintenance so it can be a good idea to supplement with CoQ10.
Alpha Lipoic Acid
New to the Get A Drip menu, Alpha-Lipoic Acid is involved in energy metabolism and can be consumed in meat however is minimally present in some fruits and vegetables so a supplement can often be a good idea. Alpha Lipoic Acid works with the other antioxidants to support our health and keep us at our optimum best.
Our new Alpha Lipoic Acid Drip is available in our Westfield clinic from Monday 15 June and available in our Boxpark clinic from Wednesday 1 July.
