"Since oxidation causes aging, then we can slow down aging by taking antioxidants!"
It has been widely rumored on the Internet that aging is due to oxidation caused by free radicals, and as long as this oxidation can be stopped, it can be stopped, and taking antioxidants can achieve the goal.
Rumor analysis
This statement is very loose.
Oxidative stress caused by free radicals is indeed an important factor in aging, but studies have found that taking high doses of antioxidants not only has no obvious effect, but can also be a threat to health.
How can we age slowly? This is a topic that many people are concerned about? Scientists have been paying attention to it for a long time.
For example, since 1954, when Harman proposed the theory of free radical aging, that is, the "free radical theory", more and more literature has affirmed the role of free radicals in aging.
In this article, we will talk in detail about how free radicals cause aging through oxidative stress, and why eating antioxidants is unreliable.
Of course, this article will also give a better alternative to antioxidants, which are the top 9 foods rich in antioxidants, which are selected from more than 3,000 foods (some of which include multiple food recommendations), which are easily available from the supermarket and easy to eat. So be sure to see the end.
Too many free radicals make people old
In fact, our body is producing free radicals all the time, such as the process of providing energy to the body after digesting and absorbing the food we eat, and the body is also producing free radicals when we exercise, in addition, ultraviolet rays, air pollution, and smoking will also promote the body to produce free radicals.
But don't worry too much, we have a strong antioxidant system in our body, which can scavenge free radicals, but as we age, our ability to fight free radicals will gradually decline, and at this time, too many free radicals will make a moth.
They will attack cells restlessly, causing cell membrane damage, protein damage, DNA damage, and then the function of the entire cell will be impaired, and even cause apoptosis, damage and apoptosis at the cellular level, which is manifested in the aging of the skin and other organs externally, that is, aging.
Taking various antioxidants is not recommended
Since the antioxidant capacity is reduced, shouldn't it be enough to take some antioxidants to remedy it?
It's really not recommended.
This is because data from the National Institutes of Medicine show:
Studies involving more than 100,000 people did not find that high doses of antioxidant supplements prevented disease.
In some cases, high doses of antioxidants may increase health risks, such as high doses of β-carotene may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers, and high doses of vitamin E may increase the risk of prostate cancer and hemorrhagic stroke. Food is the best source of antioxidants.
TOP 9 Antioxidant Foods
When it comes to foods rich in antioxidants, the first thing that comes to mind may be dark fruits and vegetables, but in fact, there are other foods that have strong antioxidant capacity.
Published in the Ntrition Journal, the nearly 1,500 citations examined the antioxidant content of 3,100 foods.
Here are 9 types of foods that are easy to buy in supermarkets, simple to eat, and particularly high in antioxidant content for your reference.
1. Berries
They are rich in a variety of antioxidants such as vitamin C, flavonoids, tannins, resveratrol, phenolic acids, and lignans, making them an excellent source of antioxidants.
Blueberries, strawberries, kiwifruit, and mulberries are also recommended, although their antioxidant content is not as high as blackberries, cranberries, and blackcurrants, but they are common and easy to buy.
In the north, strawberries and mulberries are in season in spring, and blueberries and kiwifruit are in season in autumn, and they are all soft and sweet and sour taste, so children and the elderly with bad teeth can easily eat them.
As a reminder, you should eat fresh and raw food, and never make jam, which will significantly reduce the amount of antioxidants.
2. Tomato paste
Tomato is rich in antioxidant lycopene, which mainly exists in the all-trans configuration in raw tomatoes, with poor absorption rate, and can be converted into a cis configuration with stronger antioxidant activity and higher bioavailability when heated.
Therefore, the lycopene content of the tomato sauce obtained by heating and concentration is greatly increased, and the antioxidant activity is also stronger. However, when choosing tomato sauce, be sure to choose 100% pure tomato sauce, that is, there are only tomatoes in the ingredients, don't buy tomato sauce with added sugar, salt, thickeners and other ingredients.
If you just like to eat raw tomatoes, you have to chew carefully to release lycopene from the food matrix, and eat some fatty foods such as milk, nuts, etc.
3. Purple cabbage
It is rich in glucosinolates and anthocyanins, both of which are antioxidant, both of them are sensitive to heat, and the anthocyanins are very stable above 60°C and will degrade quickly.
Anthocyanins are water-soluble, blanched, steamed or fried, they will also be dissolved in water and lose a part, many families are fried purple cabbage, some studies have shown that frying is more anthocyanins than steaming, boiling, and microwaving, and the loss of anthocyanins is as high as 56.96% when fried for 3 minutes of purple cabbage. Purple cabbage tends to turn blue when cooked, and it doesn't look appetizing, so it is highly recommended to eat it raw.
4. Walnuts
It must be that the outer membrane of walnut kernels is complete, the antioxidant components of walnuts are mainly in this membrane, only less than 10% of the antioxidants are in the walnut kernels that are removed from the membrane, and it is best to buy walnuts with shells, with the protection of shells, the antioxidants can be retained more, and it is convenient to peel them off and eat them directly when eating, you can eat 1-2 a day.
5. Dark chocolate
It doesn't matter if you don't like 100% pure black chocolate, black chocolate with a cocoa fat solids content of 70-100% is very high in antioxidants, but black chocolate is also high in energy, as a small snack a day to eat a small piece of cravings.
6. Black plums
Also called black brin, the antioxidant anthocyanins are mainly found in the skin, so don't peel the plum when you eat it.
7. Coffee
The caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid are very antioxidant, but you have to drink black coffee without sugar and milk foam, and the recommended amount of drinking a day is about 2 cups of Starbucks large Americano.
8. Green tea
It is rich in antioxidant tea polyphenols, but tea polyphenols are afraid of heat, and it is not okay to drink hot tea like in the Chaoshan area, and green tea is best soaked in water at 80°C, so as to retain more tea polyphenols. Rinse it lightly, and you can drink it as water.
As for matcha, although it is also a type of green tea, it is different from ordinary green tea powder, and compared to green tea powder, matcha has more umami and less bitterness. During the growth process of the tea leaves used to make matcha, there is a period of shade that will inhibit the photosynthesis of the tea leaves, and shading will affect the synthesis of tea polyphenols, so simply comparing the tea polyphenol content of 100 grams of green tea and matcha, matcha is definitely not as good as green tea.
9, Spices
Clove, mint, five-spice powder, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary are the most abundant antioxidants in common spices, although they can't be eaten in large quantities like vegetables and fruits, but as long as you cook more food, you can supplement more antioxidants, which is very convenient, so it is also a good source of antioxidants.
Of these antioxidant foods that make you age slower and younger, what are the most common foods you eat?
According to the "rumor" mirror
In fact, not only antioxidants, in the field of food nutrition, although there are dietary supplements, but for ordinary people who are healthy and have normal digestion and absorption functions, we may as well give priority to taking nutrients from various foods.
bibliography
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[3] Zhu Q, Gao R, Lei L, et al. Research Progress on Thermal Isomerization Mechanism and Influencing Factors of Lycopene[J]. FOOD SCIENCE, 2018, 39(15):6.
[4] Xu Qing, Wang Daibo, Liu Guohua, et al. Research Progress on Influencing Factors and Improvement Methods of Anthocyanin Stability[J]. Food Research and Development, 2020, 41(7):7.
[5]] Zhu Zhenbao, Wu Yuanfang, Yi Jianhua. Study on Pigment Stability of Anthocyanins in Purple Cabbage[J]. Grains and Fats, 2011(10):4.
[6] Chen Jingqiu. Effects of cooking methods on antioxidants and glucosinolates in purple cabbage[D]. Zhejiang University, 2018.
[7]https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/73C2B58F9AE6CC08786078548018E30D/S000711450600359Xa.pdf/div-class-title-health-benefits-of-nuts-potential-role-of-antioxidants-div.pdf
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Source丨Nutritionist Gu Chuanling