If you pay attention to health related issues and news then chances are good you have heard about antioxidants and the many positive benefits they quickly and easily provide you for overall health and well-being. But these statements about your dietary needs for antioxidants to keep you looking young, staying fit and healthy rarely actually get around to telling you what an antioxidant really is and why you need them?

Very simply put, an antioxidant is something that prevents or slows down oxidization. This can be very beneficial to the health, for instance the cholesterol in our bodies is not necessarily harmful until it becomes oxidized, which then causes it to start clinging to our blood vessels which as you know can then lead to some serious health related heart problems. Antioxidants can help to prevent this and thus make a very positive contribution to your overall general state of health and physical well being. They can also provide other benefits to your skin and hair. So asking and then answering what is an antioxidant is one of the key levels to acquire an understanding why eating food and drinking beverages which have antioxidant properties can make a positive contribution to your fitness levels and health.

Of course, if you're really wondering what is an antioxidant this should hopefully inspire you to find more out about how antioxidants can help you live a healthier and fuller life. But unless you actually take action to improve your diet and therefore increase your intake level of antioxidants, then just possessing the knowledge itself will not provide you with any tangible or real health benefits. Adding additional helpings of fresh fruit and vegetables can be very helpful to you because they naturally contain high levels of antioxidants.

Most of the food that many people eat, such as fast food and other food sources high in processed carbohydrates sugars and fat, contain very low levels of antioxidants. As well as being low in antioxidants, these items actually increase your cholesterol level, which as mentioned previously, can lead to some serious heart issues that pose a serious health risk. Although it is not necessarily a good idea to cut out food that you enjoy entirely, it may be a good idea to reduce the levels of this certain types of food in your diet in order to improve your overall health levels.

So the next time you're asked what is an antioxidant, you might want to say not only what it actually is, but also how it can make a positive contribution to their health. A little good advice can go a long way especially if the advice is based on good sound nutritional theory. Of course you should never try to give people advice on things that you are not qualified to do and the best person for people who are worried about their health to go see is a doctor, dietitian or health specialist. They could better explain the positive benefits of antioxidants to them and show how they can incorporate them more easily into their diet.