Antioxidants are all the rage today. They’re in skincare products. They’re in smoothies. And brands are always telling us their products are rich in this hard-to-spell plant compound. But what are antioxidants, and what are they good for? Are some better than others; a so-called ultimate antioxidant? We’ve done some homework and got the facts, and we’re delighted to be sharing them with you.

The truth is, these wonderful plant compounds are very special. Supplementing the body with them, be it in our diet or on the skin, is supportive for health and wellbeing.

What are antioxidants?

There are roughly a trillion cells in the body, and every single day they are under threat by a multitude of enemies. Free radicals are one such enemy. They are chemical byproducts from the body’s natural process of converting food into energy. Exercise, exposure to pollution or sunlight all also create free radicals.

Free radicals are a necessary evil, but if left unchecked in the body they can cause long lasting cell damage. In turn, that contributes to ageing and chronic diseases like:

a decline in brain function
cancer
heart disease
a weaker immune system

More than 50 diseases are thought to be spurred on by an excessive presence of free radicals in the body. This excess is called oxidative stress.

This is where antioxidants come in. The body of course is not powerless to defend itself from this kind of attack on its health. Antioxidants are the white knights in this scenario, and help to relieve the body of oxidative stress. They do this by effectively turning free radicals inert, stopping them from attacking the body’s cells any further. And in addition, antioxidants also contribute to the repair of DNA and boosting cell health.

Is there an ultimate antioxidant?

It is very important to highlight that no antioxidant is the same. Each one has unique features and biological properties. Therefore, when it comes to health and wellbeing, the best approach is to ensure the body is receiving antioxidants from a wide range of sources. Together they work in concert and are more powerful than a single isolate. If only it were so easy!

Try these antioxidants from GreenBox

So unfortunately, there is no ultimate antioxidant or silver bullet here, but there are some easy wins to take away from this. We recommend the following in order to ensure the body is receiving a healthy level of antioxidants to fight oxidative stress for the long run:

When you exercise, follow it up with a shake or smoothie with an added antioxidant booster, like the KannaSwiss Daily Booster Shots
Make sure your diet is a balanced one, with a good dose of vegetables and some fruit (fructose in fruit is still sugar!)
Supplement the diet with a good boost from plant extracts in supplement form, like the incredible Innermost Detox Booster
Swap a tea or other hot drink for a turmeric-packed Golden Mylk Latte or Turmeric Tea from Wunder Workshop
If you can, try to avoid living in a highly polluted area (saying this as we type away in our London home HQ though..!)

As with all things, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Don’t overdo it, but an addition to a healthy diet with a quality supplement like those described above will really turbocharge your health and wellbeing for the future. You can thank us in twenty years!