What are vitamins and antioxidants?
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The energy that is required in order to blink an eye or move a finger, that makes the heart beat and chest breathing - occurs in the process of complex chemical interactions in our body. Each of these chemical reactions that make us wonder of nature, depends on the auxiliary substances called enzymes; they accelerate (catalyze) the reactions.
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But each of these enzymes are required to turn some aides - coenzymes - in order to be active. And these coenzymes are very often vitamins, or mineral substances, or both simultaneously.
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Vitamins are essential to the human body for good health and normal functioning. In other words, you should regularly receive them with food in a certain amount, even if small, otherwise you get sick. Their absence in your diet necessarily lead to the development of a well-defined and recurring disease or illness - avitaminosis. Fortunately our time avitaminosis are rare. However, the state of hypovitaminosis, that is, the deficit of certain vitamins, by contrast, is very common, in connection with the impoverishment of everyday foods of most people by vitamins and other nutrients necessary for health.
Comparative analysis of the World Health Organization has shown that nowadays the main natural source of vitamins - fruits and vegetables - contain they a lot less than 10 years ago. This is due to their premature collection, as well as further reduction of the content of useful substances for transport and cooking.
Contents of vitamins in food
(mg in 100 g weight)
| Product |
Vitamins |
1985 |
1996 |
2002 |
The difference between 1985-1996 and 1985-2002 |
| Broccoli |
Folic acid |
47 |
23 |
18 |
minus 52% |
minus 62% |
| Beans |
Folic acid
Vitamin В6 |
39
140 |
34
56 |
30
32 |
minus 12%
minus 61% |
minus 23%
minus 77% |
| Spinach |
Vitamin С |
51 |
21 |
18 |
minus 58% |
minus 65% |
| Bananas |
Folic acid
Vitamin В6 |
23
330 |
3
22 |
5
18 |
minus 84%
minus 92% |
minus 79%
minus 95% |
| Strawberry |
Vitamin С |
60 |
13 |
8 |
minus 67% |
minus 87% |
(Source: Gade Farmaconcern, Switzerland (1985), Carlsrue Food Laboratory (1996), Snatorium Oberhal (2002))
This global problem is solved in our time taking in a supplement to the normal diet of nutraceuticals containing vitamins, antioxidants and their complexes. Acceptance of such dietary supplements has become an integral part of a healthy lifestyle of modern people.
In the process of metabolism in human cells arise free radicals (oxidants) as a byproduct. They damage cell membranes, destroying the DNA and, as a rule, are a major cause of physical aging. Free radicals play a significant role in the occurrence of lung and heart, as well as cancer.
Salutary role of antioxidants is that they neutralize free radicals. The most important antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and selenium. Antioxidant effects have also Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ1O), zinc, ginkgo biloba, gamma-linolenic acid, amino acid L-cysteine, L-glutathione, SOD and other similar substances.
A healthy body is able to create sufficient amounts of antioxidants and thus neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals. The body, weakened by illness, the body of older people or people who eat unhealthy or monotonous food, produces less antioxidants, free radicals that can cause us great harm. Therefore, it will be a great help for our body, if we will support its fight against free radicals by accepting of antioxidants.
Huge step forward in the manufacture of nutraceuticals containing water-soluble vitamins and antioxidants, has been the development of drug with prolonged action (so-called Delayed Release). Active ingredients in these nutraceuticals are introduced into the carrier medium (microencapsulation), which ensures their gradual absorption within 8-12 hours than is maintained an appropriate level of vitamins in the blood during a day. Substances without such prolonged action are quickly absorbed, and then their amount, which the body can not immediately use, removed from the body with urine after 2-3 hours.
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