Antioxidants boost your immune system. They are chemical compounds that neutralize the effects of oxidation. The best-known antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E, and the mineral selenium (ACES). These antioxidants cannot be made by the body and must be ingested.
|
 First Line Of Your Immune System Defense
|
| ||||||||
|
ANTIOXIDANTS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
| |
| |
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are chemical compounds that neutralize the effects of oxidation. The best-known antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E, and the mineral selenium. Often referred to as ACES, these antioxidants cannot be made by the body and must be ingested.
What are ‘free radicals'?
Free radicals is the name given to molecules that have an unpaired electron. They are a normal by-product of metabolism and without them you would die. It's the over-production of free radicals that causes damage to the body. One of the essential tasks of free radicals is in producing energy from the food you eat. Every time you eat, free radical activity is intense. The more food you eat, the more free radicals are formed and the more antioxidants your body needs to neutralise them.
What is the immune system?
The immune system as a complex biochemical system that can cope with just about any harmful or toxic substance the environment can dish up. The role of the immune system is simple — to protect and heal. This is why it's so valuable.
How exactly does the immune system work?
Once we have been exposed to a bacteria, virus or toxin, we develop antibodies that recognise and destroy them. It takes a few days for the immune system to develop the “blueprint” that enables us to manufacture these antibodies and, during this time, we may succumb to the illness. The good news, however, is that this blueprint is stored away in “memory cells” for future reference. So, the next time you‘re exposed to that particular pathogen, your immune system goes about the business of antibody development without delay. That‘s why a second or third exposure to a particular virus or bacteria does not generally cause illness.
|
| |
| ||
|
Copyright © 1999-2008 All rights reserved.
| |
| |
|
Like for ALL vitamins, minerals and supplements, statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. (The FDA only evaluates foods and drugs, not supplements like these products.) The products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Antioxidants boost your immune system
|