ANTIOXIDANTS: The great "anti-ageing" allies

Antioxidants play an important role in taking care of our health. However, the frenetic pace of our daily lives means we do not always manage to include enough of them in our diet. We divide our limited time between work, looking after the home, spending time with the family, seeing friends and doing sport. Balancing routine, schedules and rushing about is not easy and can create a lot of stress. The dreaded and harmful”stress”.

Yet, is stress really so bad?

The World Health Organisation defines stress as “the set of physiological reactions that prepares the body for action”. It is a biological warning mechanism that’s necessary for survival.

Stress, as such, is necessary. The problem arises when the level of stress is high.

Our bodies respond to stress in many ways: muscular pain, backache, digestive problems, disturbed sleep.

Our own bodies generate the dreaded “free radicals”

Free radicals are substances that we produce automatically just by breathing. These substances, when produced in excess and are not compensated by internal mechanisms, can cause alterations in our bodies. One of these is cellular ageing.

Providing our bodies with antioxidants through food on a daily basis is one of the aims of the recommendations of nutritional specialists.

The main antioxidants in food are vitamins, minerals and substances called phytochemicals or phytonutrients which are found in plants.

A, C and E are among the most important vitamins. Of the minerals, selenium, zinc, copper and the phytonutrients, of which the most well-known are resveratrol, lycopene and lutein.

Whether actively or passively, we generate more and more free radicals through exposure to tobacco, stress and pollution. On the other hand, we ingest fewer antioxidants and do not consume sufficient quantities of fruit, fresh vegetables and whole food.

How can we include antioxidants in our daily food intake?

• By consuming fruit and vegetables daily at breakfast, as a snack, in salads, with yoghurt and in shakes or smoothies.
• By adding a range of colours to your food with purple, red, orange, green or white fruit and vegetables. The more colours there are, the more nutrients there will be in our diet.
• By consuming daily antioxidant supplements such as Riovida and Riovida Burst. Their ingredients include five varieties of fruit juice: apple, blueberry, grape, pomegranate, and elderberry.

Riovida and Riovida Burst also contain vitamin C. Vitamin C helps protect cells from oxidative damage and reduces tiredness and fatigue. What’s more, it is a great ally when it comes to ensuring the healthy functioning of the immune system.