What are antioxidants?

You might have heard about these special nutrients. The cover a lot of food labels and drinks and diet plans. Antioxidants can be explained by breaking down the word into "anti" and "oxidants".

Oxidants are things that cause oxidation. What is oxidation? Picture what happens to metal when it gets rusty. That rust is caused by oxidation, a chemical process that breaks down material when exposed to oxygen. It plays out a little differently within our bodies. We need oxygen in our various tissues to live. But when these oxidants are present and come into contact with oxygen, they can cause inflammation and breaking down of cells, which leads to things like feeling sluggish or tired, joint pain, or even cancer. I don't want any of that happening in my body!

Now for the "anti". This means to go against or opposite. So that means, antioxidants counter oxidants to help you stay healthy! The best sources of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables, especially the ones with dark and deep colors. Work these into your daily food intake or even drink them juice form with no added sugar.