Antioxidants: The Superhero Nutrient

You’re probably used to hearing people in the wellness world rave about antioxidants, and you probably know they are good for you. But do you know exactly the role they play in our health? It’s actually quite impressive… so let me get a little bit science-y here…

What do antioxidants do?

Antioxidants are tiny molecules that act as a defense mechanism in our body in many different ways. However, one of the most important roles that antioxidants have is to fight free radicals. Free radicals are other tiny compounds that can promote premature aging and that can damage our health in the long run if they get out of control.

So a great way to understand this is by picturing antioxidants like the superheroes 🦸‍♂️ in the story that want to keep everything in peace and in harmony; and the free radicals are the bad guys that start a riot that can lead into a war if they’re not stopped at the right time.

These free radicals, our "bad guys," are found in many places, such as: pollution, chemicals in cleaning and personal care products, pesticides, cigarette smoke, excess cardio workouts, tap water,  processed foods and fast foods, just to mention a few. As you can see, we are always surrounded by them no matter what we do. They’re literally inevitable! Therefore, they’re constantly being formed in our body. That’s exactly why antioxidants play such an important role in our life and our health.

Where do antioxidants come from?

Now that you know this, you can see how important it is to keep up with our body’s increased demand for these tiny antioxidants. And a great way to do so is to get them from whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, and also some animal products. You’ve probably heard the term “superfoods”; they are foods that are considered antioxidant powerhouses, such as blueberries, lemons, dragon fruit, ginseng, kale, açaí and carrots, just to mention a few!

But let’s be honest, not everyone eats superfoods or the rainbow (mixed fruits and veggies) 🌈 every day. In fact, sometimes we don’t even come close to eating enough veggies, am I right? In this case, we need an extra boost from our supplements.

Which antioxidants are the best?

There are different types of antioxidants with different roles aside from fighting free radicals, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and selenium, among others. However, you’ve probably heard about Vitamin C more than a thousand times, and for good reason. You see, Vitamin C has positioned itself at  the TOP of the antioxidant family thanks to its multiple health benefits. These benefits include:

• Boosting the immune system;
• Maintaining a healthy looking skin (especially when mixed with collagen!);
• Promoting cardiovascular health;
• Decreasing oxidative stress caused by too many free radicals;
• Delaying signs of premature aging;
• Preventing iron deficiency.

No wonder it is so popular, huh?

So now you know why it is so important for your health to keep free radicals in check by making sure you give your body the right amount of antioxidants! To make it easier on you, Organika has created a vitamin C line to support all kinds of lifestyles. From classic vitamin C capsules to on-the-go Instant-C effervescent tablets, plus a couple of powder options that can be added to your fave drink anytime: vitamin C powder and Superfood C+!