Whenever I read a health blog there are always terms that go way over my head. So recently I was studying about Antioxidants, Phytoestrogens and Folic Acid. And I decided that what I needed was an english translation of that those things mean so what I hope to accomplish today is exactly that. All of this information is from my research on the internet and in books. Again I'm just a passer on of information.
Antioxidants - apparently oxidation occurs in our bodies all the time, even the act of breathing creates oxidation (really? breathing oxygen causes oxidation, who would have thought). When oxidation occurs a 'free radical' can be formed. Free radical molecules can contribute to some of the diseases of old age, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer's. The idea is to give your body enough antioxidants to stop or slow the effects of oxidation by overwhelming the free radicals. When your body doesn't have enough antioxidants then the free radicals run wild. So antioxidants are good.
Phytoestrogens - for this one I need to give you some specifics about my cancer. I was diagnosed with an estrogen positive cancer. This means that being female is killing me. The cancer I have battled in the past LOVES estrogen. This is why so many women take meds for years after having cancer in hopes of blocking estrogen to their cancer. Ditto myself as well. There are several different types of phytoestrogens, some are better at helping battle estrogen positive cancers than others. Soy is a phytoestrogen but studies have shown that it may actually cause estrogen positive cancers to grow. So for now this is on my 'no no' list. Most phytoestrogens help by attaching themselves to the receptors on cancer cells that usually an estrogen would attach to, thereby blocking the cancer cell from getting what it loves most. This is the kind of phytoestrogens we want. Phytoestrogens = good!
Folic Acid (or Vitamin B9) - this is the one you want to repair the damage to yourself (it repairs damaged cells) or if your pregnant (helps protect against birth defects). It builds and maintains strong cells and is necessary for the production of red blood cells (if your anemic this may be something to look into). It also helps keep our DNA in line so that it doesn't morph into something bad (like cancer). It's also water soluble, which means your body can't store it. You need to get more each day. I've always heard that it helps with your mental health too (but I think that includes all the B Vitamin category). Just one more thing - probably an old wives tale (but then I am an old wife) high doses of a B complex will help keep the mosquitoes away. I have actually used this, I start it about 2 weeks before I go camping and dose myself heavy on it till camp is done. Seems to work for me. So Folic Acid is in the plus category too.
Just a reminder that all these items need to be eaten in food (not taken in pills). There are things in your food that combine with the vitamins and nutrients so your body can absorb them and get the most benefits from them. Careful too overdosing on some things may actually come back and bite you in the behind.
Enjoy!
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