Throughout our lives we are exposed to numerous factors that accelerate the aging process: the sun, environmental pollution, certain foods, chemicals, or stress. Discover all the benefits of antioxidants for older people.
What are antioxidants?
To this day, everyone has heard about antioxidants and the positive effects that these substances have on our health. But, do you really know what antioxidants are and what benefits they bring us?
Antioxidants are substances capable of preventing or delaying the aging of molecules. Many of the antioxidants that provide benefits to humans are present in some of the foods we consume, especially in three large groups: polyphenols, carotenoids and vitamins of groups C and E.
Everything that antioxidants provide to the elderly
As a person gets older, the effects of aging begin to be more visible both outside and inside the human body. Therefore, when we age, not only does our skin age, but so do our cells.
Antioxidants are especially beneficial substances for older people since, over time, free radicals oxidize cells and cause damage that erodes all tissues.
To avoid this progressive deterioration that occurs with age, antioxidants provide us with a series of fundamental benefits:
1. Prevention of age-related diseases
One of the main benefits that antioxidants bring to older people is that they are capable of delaying aging. Therefore, after a certain age, it is important to incorporate antioxidant supplements into the diet.
The vitamins and minerals that some foods contain are essential to neutralize cellular oxidation, as they are responsible for stopping tissue damage, thus helping to prevent age-related diseases.
Some foods such as berries, green leafy vegetables, nuts or olive oil are an inexhaustible source of vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin E, flavonoids and essential fatty acids.
2. Protect against memory loss
As a person gets older, neurons degenerate and memory loss occurs. Therefore, the consumption of foods rich in antioxidants and antioxidant supplements helps prevent memory loss and other mental impairments in older people.
The main antioxidants to prevent memory loss and enjoy good mental health are vitamin C, vitamin B2, folic acid, zinc, selenium and vitamin E.
3. Delays vision loss
Oxidative stress is the process responsible for the deterioration of cells, and one of the symptoms associated with this deterioration is loss of vision. In fact, almost 50% of people over the age of 75 suffer from cataracts and other problems directly related to vision.
Some antioxidants, especially vitamin A, E, and C, can help delay vision loss in older people.
4. They delay the loss of the sense of taste
As we get older, and when we reach old age, it is normal to feel that the foods we eat are more bland than normal. This is because as we age, we also lose our sense of taste.
However, it has been shown that this problem can be avoided through the intake of antioxidant supplements, especially those enriched with zinc and selenium.
But remember, to the supplements and antioxidant foods we must add the practice of exercises for the elderly that will help them stay in shape.
