Posts Tagged ‘antioxidants’

Acai Berry for Healthy Skin

Posted in Anti-Aging, Supplements on May 11th, 2010 by Skin Care – Be the first to comment

Acai BerriesMost people desire skin which will make them stand out in a crowd. But very few people manage to acquire such skin. Irregular schedules, unhealthy food habits, lack of exercise and environmental factors deny your skin the radiant and glowing look that you crave for so much. At times your regular skin care regime (you have one, right?) is also not sufficient in cleansing your skin and flushing out dirt from it. Pimples, acne, blackheads and whiteheads keep recurring. Your skin starts aging. Wrinkles appear on your face. If you are looking to avoid these adversities, I would suggest you use acai berry products. They are ideal for obtaining healthy skin!

Acai berry is obtained from the palm acai, a species of palm trees. It is a small round, black purple fruit that resembles the shape of a grape. All over the world, acai berry is employed in several forms of skin care products and food supplements, as it is known to have high quantities of antioxidants. It helps in flushing out harmful toxins out of the body, and enables to cleanse dirt from your skin. It is a good colon cleanser and is very efficient in removing blockages in your colon. As a result, your digestive system improves, your body feels less bloated after meals and your skin radiates a natural glow. The effect of acai berry on skin is attributed to the action it causes in enhancing metabolism as a whole. You feel healthy from inside and look good from outside.

The antioxidants in acai berry also prevent your skin from disintegrating when you start aging prematurely. These antioxidants, smoothen face lines and wrinkles formed when your skin loses elasticity. They also provide energy by burning calories and thus enhance your metabolism.

Let us now discuss in detail some features of acai berry which make it such a sought after ingredient of skin care products:

  • Anti-Aging Benefits: Regenerative nutrients and antioxidants present in acai berry ensure that the cells in your body function to the best of their abilities. They also guarantee that your physiology is not invaded by foreign and harmful bodies which can upset your metabolism. The ability to fight free radicals make acai berry a potent anti-aging aid.
  • Reducing corrosion of skin’s protective coating: The ‘phytosterols’ present in acai berry prevents skin cells from dying a premature death and also fends off harmful invaders. Your skin thus gets benefited because of this dual action of acai berry.
  • Defends against accumulation of premature wrinkles: The ‘phytosterols’ and ‘anthocyanins’ in acai behave as powerful astringents keeping the skin intact and help protect tissues connecting the skin. An elastic, strong skin looks suppler and wrinkles look less prominent.

Some companies are now designing cosmetic products that specifically cater to those regions in the skin, where acai berry is most effective. The chemicals and nutrients in acai berry like antioxidants, ‘phytosterols’ and ‘anthocyanins’ are well utilized to design specific products satisfying specific purposes. Whether it is removing under-eye dark circles, or smoothening wrinkles, or general cleansing of skin, acai berry products are much in demand. So, you can start using acai berry products too because, you want a healthy skin. Don’t you?

List of Common Antioxidants

Posted in Anti-Aging on May 9th, 2010 by Skin Care – Be the first to comment

Vegetables main source of antioxidantsEverywhere you look antioxidants are creating quite a buzz. Such has been their popularity that you might wonder whether they are the only to stay healthy these days! Not only are antioxidants known to help you with diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, asthma and problems such as infertility, they are also promoted as great anti-aging substances. They indeed have some great health benefits and so, it will do you a world of good to know more about them.

Do you know that most of your health problems are caused by the process of oxidation? Due to various reasons such as stress, pollution, poor diet, radiation, pesticides etc, free radicals are released in your body. These are nothing but unpaired oxygen molecules which tend to oxidize cells, enzymes, and tissue by pairing with them quickly.

Continuation of this process and presence of a large number of free radicals can trigger a total physical degeneration. Antioxidants, as their name suggests, prevent this from happening by destroying free radicals effectively. In fact research shows that intake of antioxidants via diet or supplements can significantly increase your chances of living longer and healthier.

In preventing oxidation, antioxidants help you avert diseases such as:

  • Various types of cancer
  • Coronary artery disorder
  • Muscular degeneration and Alzheimer’s.

So, this brings us to the most important question: which are the best antioxidants? Here is a list which will enlighten you in this regard:

  • Alpha Lipoic acid, which is found in abundance in meat. This antioxidant can help you get rid of glaucoma and diabetes.
  • Astaxanthin, which is the substance that imparts a pink color to salmon. It is said to be 500 times stronger than vitamin C as an antioxidant!
  • Beta-carotene, which is found in carrots and tomatoes. This antioxidant can help you treat gastritis and also boost your immune system. You should know that beta-carotene should be taken in natural forms and not as an artificial supplement because the synthetic form has only one active molecule instead of two.
  • Ubiquinone. This substance is found in fishes such as mackerel and sardines and beef. Peanuts and spinach are also good sources. It is usually used for cardiac insufficiency, wherein it helps to strengthen the heart muscles. It can also counter the effect of histamines and so, is quite useful in case of allergies and asthma. This is available in the form of expensive supplements and so, you can try the cheaper fishes to get the benefits of this supplement.
  • Cucurmin. Mainly found in turmeric, this antioxidant can help you get relief from stomach pain and nausea, liver problems related to non-secretion of bile, menstrual cramps. It can also serve as an anti-inflammatory agent for treating arthritis, asthma and eczema. However, this can thin your blood and so; you may want to consult a physician first.
  • Cysteine. This antioxidant is found in eggs and dairy products. It facilitates the absorption of iron in your body and promotes natural healing.

Your best bet is to use these uncommon antioxidants in their natural forms. Supplements may be good, but why go artificial when natural alternatives are available?