Why are antioxidants important?
🔹 Antioxidants are compounds produced in your body and found in foods. They help defend your cells from damage caused by potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals.
🔹 When free radicals accumulate, they may cause a state known as oxidative stress. This may damage your DNA and other important structures in your cells.
🔹 Sadly, chronic oxidative stress can increase your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
🔹 Fortunately, eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help increase your blood antioxidant levels to fight oxidative stress and reduce the risk of these diseases.
🔹 Scientists use several tests to measure the antioxidant content of foods.
🔹 One of the best tests is the FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma) analysis. It measures the antioxidant content of foods by how well they can neutralize a specific free radical.
🔹 The higher the FRAP value, the more antioxidants the food contains.
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