Free Radicals and Heart Diseases?

Well there are several forms of heart disease but its primary cause is from the build up of fat deposits on the inner surface (lining) of arteries. It is this build up of fatty deposits that over time block blood flow, thus leading to heart attack or stroke.

Simply put, a free radical is an atom that has lost an electron. Still lost? Ok! Well an atom is the basic unit of matter and it consists of a dense, central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. Therefore, when one of these electrons surrounding the nucleus is lost the atom is then said to be a free radical.

These free radicals are then able to go around altering or destroying cells. It is these altered and damaged cells that when they replicate contribute to premature aging and a range of diseases such as can cancer, osteoporosis and ofcourse, heart disease.

 Just eating fatty foods alone is not the main cause for the build up of fat on the inner surface of arteries but the action of free radicals. This is because the free radicals oxidize the fat and in so doing cause it to become "sticky". It is this "sticky" fat that is then able to adhere to the inner walls of the artery more easily. Thus smoking and stress are risk factors to heart disease as they increase the amount of free radicals in the body and having a high fat consumption doesn't help either.

Antioxidants are the solution when it comes to reducing free radicals. This is because antioxidants are the body's defense against free radicals as they have "extra" electrons that they can give to free radicals, thus eliminating their harmful effects.

As a result antioxidants are your body's defense against premature againg and all the other diseases caused by free radicals.

These beneficial defenders are found in fruits and vegetables. Specifically, they are found in higher concentrations in organic foods than in processed foods now grown with pesticides.

However, as most adults don't get their recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables, another source of antioxidants, which is easy to consume, is in high quality vitamin supplements. Thus these supplements are recommended by the American Medical Association.

Vitamin supplements are a great way to get the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants your body needs to stay healthy. However, not all vitamin supplements are beneficial. That is, to be beneficial a vitamin supplement must be absorbed by the body and include many types antioxidants in the proper combinations.