Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Green Tea's antioxidant

By Collin James

You have heard of the power behind green tea being it's antioxidant and the power to increase it in the human body right? Do you know exactly what an antioxidant is and what it can do for you?

Antioxidants themselves don't do anything to oxygen. What they do, do is fight a chemical reaction in your body called oxidation. I am sure your saying right now, wait a second - that's what causes metal to rust - I am not made of metal! Your right to say that but oxidation is the interaction between oxygen molecules and the substances they come in contact with. If this just so happens to be living tissue, then that's when disease occurs.

The harm caused by oxidation, is result of free radicals, highly reactive, unstable molecules that travel around the body wreaking havoc. Although free radicals can be generated by exposure to UV rays, toxins, cigarette smoke, microbes and other sources, the most common source is the oxygen molecule itself.

Oxygen typically travels throughout the body in pairs, and these two molecules share electrons. But sometimes this double molecule splits into two separate oxygen molecules called singlet oxygen. When this happens, there are no longer enough electrons to go around, so each oxygen molecule ends up one electron short. This destabilizes the molecule, in a sense throwing it off balance. In order too stabilize itself, it races off throughout the body in search of another electron.

But singlet oxygen doesn't just wait for a spare electron to float on by. Instead, it boldly steals one from some other molecule. This destabilizes the "new" molecule which, in turn, careens off to steal an electron from yet another molecule. The process of serial "electron stealing" damages cells, tissues, organs and even entire body systems, and is believed to be a major cause of cancer, heart disease, aging and many other conditions.

Now, this is where having antioxidants come into play. What antioxidants do is donate an electron to the lonely free radicals so they no longer have to steel electrons to feel balanced. Your body does produce antioxidants on its own, but not early enough to aid all the free radicals. That's where green tea can help you a lot,

Among others, these include beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, the mineral selenium, and various phytochemicals such as lycopene and quercetin. But the catechins, especially EGCg, are among the most powerful and effective antioxidants of all. - 16004

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