Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Antioxidants
Functions and Sources
What food source is the nutrient found in?
Foods high in beta-carotene include most red, dark orange, and deep yellow fruits, such as:
Foods high in vitamin C include:
Foods high in vitamin E include:
Foods high in selenium include:
How does the nutrient affect the body?
Oxidation is the reason why a cut-up apple turns brown, or why vegetable oil turns rancid. Oxidation is caused by chemicals called free radicals. Just as in the apple and oil, when oxidation occurs in the body can lead to the onset of problems. The following events can lead to the creation of free radicals in your body or expose you to them in the environment.
A healthy body can usually break down free radicals before they become harmful. If free radicals form faster than the body can break them down, damage to cells and tissues can occur.
Antioxidants help counteract the damage caused by free radicals in two ways.
Then the free radicals cannot damage cells and tissues or cause health problems.