Are Antioxidants the Fountain of Youth?

Antioxidants: The Fountain of Youth?

By pHDrinkingwater.com Staff

Those of us who fail to remember everything from high school biology may forget the exact definition of an antioxidant; it turns out the definition is buried somewhere in our sophomore locker. But, even if we don't remember exactly what an antioxidant is, we do remember one thing: antioxidants are good for our well being.


Wine, vegetables, tea, fruit, coffee, even certain types of water, like Kangen Water™, are all rich in antioxidants. We eat them, we drink them, if we could, we might even date them, all in an attempt to live a life filled with health. While this "maintaining health" is perhaps the number one feature on an antioxidant's resume, recent research has now discovered that they have the ability to do one more special task: antioxidants may help us stay young.


Antioxidants, if we are all to get out our pocket protectors for just a brief moment, are molecules that possess the ability to prevent, or at least slow down, the oxidation of other molecules.



Though a certain amount of oxidation is needed for survival, excessive oxidation can damage cells. This excessive oxidation takes place when a molecule has an uneven amount of electrons. An uneven amount leads to instability and causes the molecule to seek stability by stealing an electron from a neighboring molecule. Through this process, free radicalsdevelop and a cascading, electron stealing effect begins until living cells are damaged. Antioxidants stop the cell damaging process by intervening and providing the unstable molecule with the electron they need.


Because of this intervention, antioxidants are credited with preventing cancer, neurological diseases, heart ailments, and immune deficiencies. They can also help people fight off and heal from viruses and infections.


Recent research, however, has given the antioxidant something else to brag about. A new study has indicated that slowing down oxidation also slows down the aging process.


As a person ages, they are not able to recover as quickly from the oxidation process that may take place. This results not only in "looking older," but it also causes a loss of brain function, and sometimes an onset of dementia. Antioxidants, swooping in, may take growing old down a few notches.


A study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, focused on 5,956 men over the age of 65 who had been consuming 50 milligrams supplements of beta-carotene (high in antioxidants) every other day for an average of 18 years. The research showed that the consumption of beta-carotene markedly slowed down age-related changes and decreased the loss of cognitive function. The men who took the supplements, instead of a placebo, had sharper memory skills and noticeably better reasoning, judgment and perception.


This research helped solidify the "antioxidants age slowing" hypothesis upon which scientists had speculated for quite some time.


We can often stop sickness and stop disease, but age has been one thing that we have been unable to stunt: time, it turns out, just doesn't want to stay still. But, with this recent news, antioxidants may be the proverbial fountain of youth many of us seek. They are our best chance at doing what so many of us hope: staying forever young.