Why are antioxidants important?
Viruses and bacteria produce oxidants, which are reactive forms of oxygen that damage cells and age you faster. Simply, they are bad news. We also get oxidants from eating chargrilled/ blackened foods, breathing polluted air, and maybe you’ve had a less than great diet over the years. You can end up in a situation where you have too many oxidants and not enough antioxidants.
Glutathione – the master antioxidant
Most of us have heard of vitamin C and it seems to get all the praise when it comes to immunity, but there’s an even more powerful antioxidant that I’m sure most of you have never heard of – glutathione.
Glutathione is one of the most important molecules in the body – almost like a magic elixir of health. Too little of it and you may be at risk of developing one of the most feared health conditions facing us today – stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.
If you’ve got good enough levels, that’s where the gold is…
When levels are adequate or high, you’ll not only have protection from the conditions above, but you’ll have amazing energy, glowing skin, healthy detoxification, strong heart and brain function, and possibly even a longer life!
Glutathione is made up of three amino acids called cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid (or glutamate). It’s often called the “master” antioxidant because it helps recycle all the other antioxidants in your body like vitamins C and E, as well as alpha lipoic acid and CoQ10.
Research shows that glutathione primes the white blood cells of the immune system and helps them produce more infection-fighting substances to control both bacterial and viral infections.
Foods to increase glutathione
Eating the right foods to naturally increase glutathione will help keep you fighting fit. There are a small number of foods that naturally contain glutathione. These include asparagus, avocado, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli, garlic, chives, tomatoes, cucumber, almonds, and walnuts.
Some other foods contain the building blocks needed to make glutathione and these are foods containing cysteine and other sulphur-containing foods, and selenium.
Good foods to choose are onions, spring onions, shallots, leeks, kale, bok choy, rocket, spring greens, watercress, radishes. Some spices such as turmeric, cinnamon and cardamom – have compounds that can also help to restore healthy levels of glutathione and its antioxidant enzymes.
Alpha Lipoic Acid – glutathione’s reloader
Alpha lipoic acid (also called ALA) is a critical co-enzyme that helps to recycle many antioxidants, including vitamin C, E and glutathione. It is well known for its anti-ageing effects on our cell’s energy factories, the mitochondria.
Good food sources of alpha lipoic acid include:
• Organ meats
• Beef
• Brewer’s yeast
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Peas
• Tomatoes
Selenium – building block of antioxidants
Selenium is an important trace mineral that is key in the production of glutathione (it also happens to be great for thyroid. Good dietary sources of selenium include:
• Seafood
• Brazil nuts
• Eggs
• Mushrooms
• Whole grains
• Organ meats
• Dairy products
Why you need to get in more broccoli
Broccoli is one of nature’s real superfoods. You’ll often find me extolling the virtues of these little trees in relation to women’s health, where it is an excellent detoxifier of oestrogen. When it comes to boosting immunity, broccoli has good levels of antioxidants sulforaphane, lutein and zeaxanthin, which fight disease. It’s also packed with vitamin C, which is undoubtedly an important nutrient for immune function as well as all the vitamin K you’ll need in a day, and decent amounts of folate, vitamin A, potassium, phosphorous and selenium
Soup is such an easy way to cram in lots of immune supporting foods and it tastes good too!
Here’s a super quick and easy broccoli soup recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 large potato, diced
- 1.2l chicken or vegetable stock
- 400g broccoli chopped into florets
Put the potato and stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil, turn down to simmer for 10 mins until the potato is tender, then add the broccoli and some seasoning and cook for another 4-5 mins. Swirl with extra virgin olive oil
Simmer some leeks and onions in some olive oil before adding the potatoes and stock for even more antioxidants!
