The Power of Antioxidants in supporting Immune Health

While we all want to be healthy, with all the germs, stress, and pollution that we are surrounded with in today's world, how can we defend our health with a strong immune system? Surprisingly, there really does prove to be a very important role for those antioxidants-those little nutrients spoken about everywhere-in keeping the top shape of our immune defenses.

Antioxidants are your body's personal defense squad: a small group of elements that help protect the cells in your body from oxidative stress. When free radicals-the unstable molecules that otherwise would steal from everything from air pollution to smoke until even your metabolism.

They cause a lot of damage: wrinkles to skin and chronic illness. And if that is not any worse, free radicals can attack your immune system and incapacitate your body's ability to defend infections. That is when antioxidants come to be useful. They neutralize free radicals and prevent the cells from being damaged.

How Antioxidants Keep Immune Systems Healthy

Well, let's get down to how antioxidants keep your immune systems healthy:

1. Saving Your Immune Cells from Destruction
   It is under a lot of stress, especially when your immune system is doing what it is supposed to be doing - such as fighting off a cold or fighting some minor infection. During such processes, your body manufactures free radicals; if they accumulate in your body, they will damage the very cells that are to keep you healthy. That is where antioxidants such as vitamins C and E enter the frame. These nutrients neutralize the free radicals, thereby giving your immune cells a chance to do their job without succumbing to breakdown.
2. Taming Chronic Inflammation
   We tend to think of inflammation as a bad thing, but actually it is normal for an immune response to a site of infection or trauma. However, chronic inflammation will weaken the immune system gradually and make one more susceptible to disease in such a case.
   Having antioxidants-in addition, the ones found in fruits and vegetables-think berries and leafy greens-this chronic inflammation doesn't get the better of you. They keep things cooled down, thereby allowing your immune system to focus on the threats that are real-because of viruses and bacteria-so it's not really distracted.
3. Supercharging Your White Blood Cells
   White blood cells are like the superheroes of that immune system; they fight the infections and keep you healthy. But even the superheroes need a little backup sometimes. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, give them a little boost in production and activity so that when the invaders come with an aggressive attack, they come out big with fast response.
   Vitamin E preserves white blood cells' cell membranes, helping to maintain healthy and functioning cells.
4. Healthy Skin—is the First Line of Defense
   Your skin is a shield against germs that cause diseases. Skin must be tough enough to withstand all forms of pathogens. Healthy skin also requires antioxidants. Vitamin C acts to produce collagen, thereby making your skin firm and supple; vitamin E protects your skin from free radicals imparted by sun exposure, pollution, among others. Together, these antioxidants ensure your skin is in good shape and might be very effective as the first defense of the body.
5. Anti-Ageing, Keeps You Prowling with Your Immune System
   As we age, an aspect of the aging process includes the gradual slowdown of our immune system, sometimes referred to as immunosenescence. We can't put the clock back, but we can delay the aging of our immune system. Antioxidants guard against oxidative wear and tear. Other great-for-aging-immunity nutrients include selenium, resveratrol, and colourful vegetables full of carotenoids such as carrots and tomatoes.
6. Gut-Keeping and Immunity-Cradling
   Do not want to hear that something like 70% of your immune system resides in your gut, do you? Reality has it that gut health has everything to do with the immune health of your whole body. Antioxidants in foods such as green tea, dark chocolate, and even red wine or cultivate the good bacteria in your gut that will, in turn, help strengthen your immune system. A healthy gut equals a healthy immune response.

How to Increase Antioxidant Intake in Your Everyday Life

Increasing antioxidant levels in your life doesn't have to be a chore. Here are just a few easy ways to boost your intake: Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits deliver a healthy dose of vitamin C.

Powerhouse antioxidant-berries for you: blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

It's rich in vitamin E, but it's also chock-full of other nutritious goodness. Nuts and seeds, such as almonds and sunflower seeds, are very high in vitamin E.

Flavonoids: Dark chocolate-that is, chocolate containing 70% cacao or higher- can fight inflammation, rev up your immune system.

The trick is to eat as varied a mix of antioxidant-rich foods as possible. Vary your fruit, vegetable, and nut choices; you will cover all your bases, and you'll feed your immune system a steady supply of those protective compounds.

But small they may be, mighty are the antioxidant heroes keeping the immune system healthy and robust. This begins right from cellular levels and brings down all that inflation and improves gut health along with much more.

Published By: Sakshi Sharma (Nutritionist)

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