Grow old with excellent body condition and still look attractive is everyone's dream. Conditions that would not be achieved just like that, without action and effort early on. Unfortunately, the aging process only realized after the body undergoes physical changes. As a result, various efforts as unsuccessful.
Being old is not inevitable, but slow the onset of aging can be cultivated from now. Free radicals are one of the main causes of aging. Unfortunately, the spread of free radicals in the environment where we live, for example air polluted by automobile fumes, cigarette smoke, polluted water, ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and foods containing unsaturated fats.
Free radicals are atoms or molecules that are very unstable and very reactive, and damage to tissues. These free radical compounds can be formed by the chemical processes that occur in the body, such as oxidation processes, cell metabolism, excessive muscle activity and inflammation. Free radicals is the primary source of various degenerative diseases, such as hardening of the arteries, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, premature aging is no exception. To protect the body from free radical attack, and also reduce the negative effects of these compounds, the body needs antioxidants.
Antioxidants are compounds that can remove, clean, resist the formation or nullify the effects of reactive oxygen species. Antioxidants can stop the oxidation process by reacting with free radicals, binding metal ions and free radicals as well as catcher.
Antioxidants contained in the body and also from outside the body. There are three groups of antioxidants in the body, namely: primary antioxidants, secondary antioxidants, and antioxidants tertiary. Primary Antioxidants work by preventing the formation of new free radicals. These antioxidants alter the existing free radicals into molecules that lack a negative impact before the free radicals that have a chance to react. Secondary antioxidants function capturing radicals and prevent a chain reaction, such as tocopherols (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Antioxidants tertiary function fix damaged biomolecules caused by free radicals.
Antioxidants from outside the body can be derived from additional food such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and flavonoids in several studies proved able to reduce free radicals. Sources of antioxidants can be obtained either from natural or synthetic materials. Source of natural antioxidants have side effects that are very small and can be obtained from plants. In general, plants contain a class of phenolic or polyphenolic compounds such as flavonoids, coumarins, tocopherols and polyfunctional organic acids.
Some examples of herbaceous plants that contain antioxidants, such as Sappanwood (Caesalpinia sappan L), Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), Mahkota dewa (Phaleria macrocarpa), and aloe vera (Aloe vera Linn).
Sappanwood Plants (Caesalpinia sappan L) contains compounds that are antimicrobial and contain at least five compounds that are antioxidants. These plant extracts containing phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, sapanin, tannins, resins, resorsin, brazilin, and brazilein, which in vitro acts as an antioxidant. This plant is strongly suspected to give the effect of treatment on a variety of infectious diseases. Traditionally this plant is used to treat infectious diseases, but also reported to be antihiperkolesteremik.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) are commonly used as a spice or traditional medicine. Pungent components of ginger such as 6 gingerol and 6 shogaol known to have antioxidant activity sufficient. Of ginger extract that has been discarded components volatilnya by steam distillation, the fraction of non volatilnya after purification, it was found that there were four compound gingerol derivatives and four kinds of diarilheptanoid which have strong antioxidant activity.
Mahkota dewa fruit (Phaleria macrocarpa) contains substances that are useful for the body, such as alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. Flavonoid content of mahkota dewa fruit useful as a natural antioxidant, in addition to functioning as an anti-inflammatory, blood circulation throughout the body and prevent blockages in blood vessels, reduce cholesterol and reduce fatty deposits on artery walls, reducing the levels of risk of coronary heart disease, and help reduce the pain if there is bleeding or swelling.
Aloe vera (Aloe vera L) contains 72 substances needed by the body. Among the 72 substances the body needs it there are 18 kinds of amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, water, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, hormones, and substances drug classes. Some trace elements contained in aloe vera that is functioning as forming a natural antioxidant in addition to other benefits.
Antioxidants can also be easily obtained from food. Some examples of food sources of antioxidants, among others:
- Vitamin A: Carrots, broccoli, green vegetables, spinach, pumpkin, liver, potatoes, eggs, apricots, mangoes, milk and fish.
- Vitamin C: Pepper, chilli, parsley, guava, kiwi, broccoli, sprouts, persimmon, papaya, strawberries, oranges, lemons, cauliflower, garlic, wine, raspberri, oranges, spinach, tomatoes and pineapple.
- Vitamin E: Asparagus, avocados, olives, spinach, nuts, grains, vegetable oils, cereals.
- Carotene: Beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, carrots, pumpkins, green vegetables, red fruit, tomato, seaweed.
- Polipenol: Berri fruit, tea, beer, wine, olive oil, chocolate, coffee, walnuts, peanuts, fruit skins, pomegranates and wine.