Antioxidant multi vitamin supplements used to be considered very healthy and effective in the fight against free radicals. With more recent discoveries, it seems that up to a point antioxidant multi vitamin products that contain vitamin A, E, C and minerals like zinc and selenium act against oxidation, but when there is over supplementation, they can actually make free radicals even more dangerous. Before you start using any form of supplements, you should first review your diet.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals are some by products of cellular activity, extra molecules released by the body in the condition of excessive sun exposure and pollution. Free radicals are held responsible for the aging process, and the more free radicals get released, the weaker and less vigorous the body gets. Free radicals are called ‘free’ because they attached to the wall of the cell and steal essential elements causing immense tissue damage.

Why do we need antioxidant multi vitamin supplements?

A person with a balanced diet will normally not need any supplementation of vitamins A, C or E. Yet, irregular meals and chaotic schedules prevent many people from eating regularly. It is in such cases that antioxidant multi vitamin supplements are prescribed by doctors. With two or three capsules daily you can prevent serious disease like cancer, stroke or heart illness.

What to use instead of antioxidant multi vitamin supplements?

If you don’t want to supplement, then watch your diet carefully. The highest level of antioxidant substances is found in dark green vegetables. Vitamins are destroyed by cooking, therefore, you should mainly consume such vegetables raw. Just wash them well and make some delicious salads; use olive oil for the dressing. We should here mention beets, eggplants, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and yellow corn. As for fruits, there are some that contain more antioxidants than others: raisins, berries, oranges, grapes and cherries.

Antioxidant multi vitamin supplements may have side effects!

Some people have reported adverse reactions to antioxidant supplements. Most of the symptoms are digestive including constipation, diarrhea, nausea and black stools. Liquid multivitamins are more likely to trigger such reactions. If you pay attention to the dosage and you follow the doctor’s orders, you can easily reduce the risk of such side effects. People suffering from chronic disease should also be more careful with the use of supplements, and they should never self-medicate.

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The medical world has divided opinions about antioxidant vitamins. They have the reputation of fighting old age by preventing cellular decay associated with the release of free radicals. Vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A) are the main antioxidant vitamins. Many people are now taking some antioxidant supplement either to stay in good shape and maintain youth or to fight cardio-vascular disease.

Medical precautions!

At the moment, it is not 100% sure that antioxidant vitamins can improve heart conditions. Instead of taking supplements, people are encouraged to eat a balanced diet, getting nutrients from all the major food categories. Antioxidant vitamins are normally taken from food and they are enough to keep you healthy. Better consume nuts, whole grains and fruits instead of supplements!

Other natural antioxidants!

There are other substances and chemicals that the body can use to fight free radicals, and these elements act in combination with vitamins. Normally, the secretion of free radicals increases because of pollution and extensive sun exposure. Zinc, selenium, grape seed extract, gingko biloba and green tea have a powerful antioxidant action. Some of these are available in the form of herbal supplements, while the others can be taken directly from food. Drink one or two cups of green tea per day and have several fruit servings.

Antioxidant vitamins and physical exercises!

When you undergo strenuous physical effort after long rest periods your body is unprepared for the effort, and the system will secret more free radicals than ever at such times. The best way to fight this is not to use more antioxidant vitamins, but to actually make physical exercises part of your lifestyle. Regular exercises boost up the body’s defenses against the action of free radicals. Scientific information is pretty scarce here, meaning that there are no conclusive studies to indicate whether a supplementation of antioxidant vitamins would help an athlete fight against oxidation or not.

Whether to take antioxidant vitamins or not!

A balanced diet is preferable to the use of supplements, and all experts agree on that. A decade ago antioxidant vitamins were considered harmless, but their health effect is no longer believed to be that positive. At present, there is growing awareness on the potential toxicity of antioxidant supplements and their interactions. Live a healthy balanced life and try not to over-supplement because that could be detrimental on the long run. As long as we provide the right nutrients, our bodies should work automatically due to the fine tuning of the defense mechanisms.