Drinking Your Way to Health

As the population ages, people have become more conscious about what they eat. What you eat and drink can be the difference between good and poor health. Food is not just about making hunger go away, it is about survival. One of the best ways to boost your bodies immune system is by drinking antioxidants.

So why are antioxidants such a big buzz word right now and what exactly do they do? When the body performs bioprocesses it absorbs nutrients to carry out these tasks. As nutrients are absorbed, waste is the by product. The body then has to flush that waste. If the waste accumulates faster than the body can flush it, it causes oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress eventually causes the production of harmful free radicals, compounds that contribute to health complications such as heart disease, urinary tract infection, cancer, and others. To be able to fight off cell damage caused by free radicals, the body needs the speedy action of antioxidants.

Antioxidants may be classified into categories such as flavonoids, enzymes, thiols, and others.

Did you know that you can receive your daily dose of antioxidants from rich sources such as your favorite beverages? Even without the need for pills or dietary supplements, you can cleanse your body, rejuvenate your cells, and improve your overall well-being just by enjoying drinks like coffee, tea, juice, cocoa, and wine!

You need to know a few facts about what beverages you can drink to get your daily recommended levels of antioxidants. Here are some beverages you can easily acquire and drink, you might even already be drinking some of these:

Coffee – Most people are amazed that coffee contains antioxidants but it really does.

The coffee you want to drink is called black coffee. Black coffee has high concentrations of caffeic and chlorogenic acid: a rich source of antioxidants. In March of 2004, the Journal of Nutrition shocked the world when it published a study that showed the positive effects coffee has on certain types of cancer, diabetes, and even Parkinson’s disease.

Tea – Tea comes in many varieties. No worries, I will make it simple for you. The kind of tea you want to drink is either green tea or black tea. It is these two teas that have been shown to have the greatest amounts of antioxidants in them. They are a good source of the antioxidant EGCG which has been shown to perform vital antioxidant processes. Drinking a glass of black or green tea everyday will help your body cleanse the urinary system and help prevent the kind of cell damage that can cause cancer.

Juice – That’s right, that glass of orange juice your parents made you drink each morning has one of the most powerful antioxidants known: good ole Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a proven antioxidant that boosts the body’s immune system. Another good juice to drink that is not as well known as orange juice is acai juice. Acai juice is made from the acai berry. It contains antioxidants like anthocyanins, homoorientin, and flavonoids. People have also reported that Acai juice has helped them lose excess fat.

Cocoa – A steaming mug of cocoa is not just for cold winter nights anymore. Chocolate, especially the pure unsweetened form, has been discovered to have lots of procyanidin, a flavonoid that supports the bodys connective tissues, maintains healthy blood vessels, and prevents cell mutation. Cocoa also has quercitin, which has been researched by the National Institutes of Health to have benefits against diabetes and obesity.

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