Antioxidant insights, how blackcurrant compounds help 'age-proof' the body
on December 08, 2017
IN this blog, we’re going to share one important health benefit of blackcurrants – their effect on helping to control oxidative stress, the process that ages your body by attacking its healthy cells.
‘Oxidative what?’ I hear you say.
This ‘oxidation’ – where oxygen reacts in cells that leads to them dying - can be controlled through antioxidants in the diet, and for this, blackcurrants are particularly potent. Science is showing regular use of New Zealand blackcurrant extract reduces oxidative stress by up to 40%.
Imagine an iron pipe lying on the ground. Years of rain, environmental exposure, sun, and other factors cause it to rust. Oxidative stress is the body’s ‘rusting’ process that occurs naturally and is influenced by many things, such as toxins, stress and environmental factors.
Surprisingly, those who do vigorous exercise use up to 20 times more oxygen than in a resting state, which results in a lot of oxidative stress – and the reason why athletes are particularly vulnerable to its destructive effects. This leads to inevitable tissue and DNA damage, pronounced fatigue, poor recovery and accelerated ageing on the body.
Oxidative stress is also a major player in the cause of chronic diseases such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, autoimmune and heart disease. Science has attributed oxidative stress as the cause of over 70 well-known diseases.
Antioxidants are key fighters in the body’s war against oxidative stress. These ‘hero’ compounds help neutralize this threat and allow your body to safely excrete them without harm.
A balanced diet featuring fruit and vegetables, key sources of antioxidants, is crucial for fighting oxidative stress, and supplementing with a functional food in the form of concentrated blackcurrants is a convenient way of topping up too.