Birmingham Antioxidants - How do Antioxidants affect your skin?

If you're like most people, you want smooth, healthy skin, but maybe you don't want to go searching through hundreds of chemically laden products to get it. That's where antioxidants can help. Incorporating the right antioxidants into your diet and skin care routine can have a positive effect on your skin. Your doctor or dermatologist will also advise you that as a resident of Birmingham, antioxidants can help your skin and overall health. In fact, this is true no matter where you live.

Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals and enzymes, which are proteins inside your body that can help to prevent and repair damage to your body's tissue. Antioxidants do this by slowing or preventing the effect of free radicals, which start oxidation, a process that causes damage from oxygen that can lead to cell dysfunction. If you've seen a peeled apple turn brown, you've seen oxidation in action. As antioxidants block the effects of free radicals, they end up being oxidized. This is why it's important to constantly replenish your supply of antioxidants.

Free radicals may also play a role in heart disease, cancer and other conditions. So giving your body an added supply of antioxidants will help you fight those conditions. Plus you don’t need artificial chemicals to do that. You can find antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium and vitamins A, C and E naturally in many foods, including fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, some meats, poultry and fish. Knowing the right foods to consume will give you the vitamins and minerals you need.

When it comes to caring for your skin, antioxidants can help to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. Unlike sunscreens and moisturizers, antioxidants can protect your skin from the inside out by guarding your cells from damage. Vitamins A, C and E and the mineral selenium are thought to be particularly helpful in skin care. In addition to helping fortify cells against free radicals, vitamins A and C also encourage cell and tissue growth, helping the body to repair itself. This is very helpful to the skin, which is constantly shedding and re-growing cells. For this reason, any antioxidants that protect cells and encourage cell growth could be helpful in an anti-aging regimen, as they may help fight fine lines and wrinkles. So don’t forget your intake of antioxidants in Birmingham, which can lead to good health and great skin too!

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