The Role of Antioxidants in Your Health and Beauty

Every day, without realizing it, our body faces a series of invisible attacks that can affect our health and accelerate the aging of our skin. But we're not alone; in this article, we're going to discover our allies: antioxidants.

The Invisible Enemy: Free Radicals

Let's first meet the enemy: free radicals. They are unstable molecules missing an electron and desperately seeking one. We can compare them to thieves that, to stabilize themselves, need to "steal" that electron from our healthy cells (of the skin, organs, etc.). This "theft" damages the cell and triggers a chain reaction, a process known as oxidative stress.

To break a lance in their favor, not all free radicals are bad. In fact, our body produces them in small amounts for essential functions, like fighting bacteria. The problem arises, as with everything, when there's an excess of free radicals and our body can't control them.

Where Do Free Radicals Come From?

We are constantly exposed to sources of free radicals, both internal and external. Understanding their origin helps us be more aware:

Internal Sources (Endogenous):

• Cellular Metabolism: Cells produce normal amounts of free radicals as a result of chemical reactions necessary to generate energy and perform other vital functions.

• Immune System: The body's immune response can also generate free radicals as part of its defense mechanism against pathogens.

External Sources (Exogenous):

• Solar Radiation (UV Rays): When penetrating the skin, UV rays generate a massive production of free radicals. This is the main cause of photoaging, as they directly damage cellular DNA and degrade the collagen that gives us firmness.

• Environmental Pollution: Pollution particles and car exhaust gases settle on our skin, clog pores, and trigger an inflammatory response that also generates oxidative stress.

• Tobacco Smoke: Inhaled or in the environment, it introduces a huge amount of toxins into the body (for example, peroxyl radicals or nitric oxide), triggering a wave of free radicals that affects the skin, lungs, and the entire cardiovascular system.

• Unhealthy Diet: Ultra-processed foods, excess sugar, and poor-quality fats force our body to work harder to metabolize them, a process that produces free radicals as a byproduct.

• Physical and Emotional Stress: Chronic stress releases hormones, like cortisol, which in excess can promote inflammation and the production of free radicals throughout the body.

• Excessive Alcohol Consumption: The liver needs a great effort to metabolize alcohol, and this process releases a significant amount of unstable molecules that contribute to cellular aging.

• Medications: Some medications or certain treatments, like chemotherapy, can generate free radicals as a side effect.

As we've seen, free radicals are normal for life, but their excess is harmful to health.

Our Defense: Antioxidants

Antioxidants are molecules that can donate an electron to free radicals without becoming unstable. This way, they stop the chain reaction and protect our cells from damage.

Antioxidants in Cosmetics, Protect You from the Outside

• Medications: Some medications or certain treatments, like chemotherapy, can generate free radicals as a side effect.

• What Are They? They are the antioxidants we apply directly to the skin. They act as a first line of defense, protecting it from external aggressions.

• How Do They Act on the Skin? Topical antioxidants neutralize free radicals on the skin's surface before they can damage the structures that form it, such as collagen and elastin. This helps prevent premature aging (wrinkles, spots, sagging), soothes inflammation, and provides luminosity.

• Examples in Cosmetics:

Vitamin C: Reduces sun damage and is essential for collagen production, helps depigment spots, and restores luminosity to dull skin.

Vitamin E: It's a great protector of cell membranes and a powerful moisturizer. It works in team with vitamin C, enhancing each other.

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): It's an antioxidant, strengthens the skin barrier to make it more resistant, soothes redness, regulates sebum production, and minimizes the appearance of pores.

Resveratrol: This polyphenol, present in grapes, is famous for its ability to protect the skin from environmental stress and activate the cells' natural defenses.

Our cosmetic products are formulated with a wide variety of antioxidant ingredients. You can see them all here and learn more by reading the Technical Sheet of each product.

The list doesn't end here; there are many more like Coenzyme Q10 (essential for cellular energy), Green Tea Extracts (effective for soothing the skin) ...

Antioxidants in Nutrition, Protect You from the Inside

• What Are They? They are the antioxidants we ingest through a healthy diet. They work from the inside out, strengthening the defenses of our entire body, including the skin.

• How Do They Act in the Body? When consumed, antioxidants are absorbed into our blood and distributed throughout the body. There, they protect the cells of all our organs from oxidative stress, improving our overall health and contributing to healthier, stronger skin.

• Examples in Foods:

Aloe Juice: As a food, it's a great ally for digestive health and hydration. It's rich in vitamins, minerals, and above all, polyphenols, which help neutralize free radicals from the inside. You can find it in practically all our products or in drinkable format here.

Açai: This deep purple berry owes its color to a huge concentration of anthocyanins, a very potent type of flavonoid. Thanks to it, it effectively combats oxidative stress, protecting cells from premature aging. You can find it in our Munactive-10.

Blueberry: Small bluish fruits with potent antioxidant action thanks to their high concentration of anthocyanins, which neutralize free radicals. They also provide pterostilbene, a compound with excellent bioavailability, that reinforces cellular defenses and protects against premature aging. We find this ingredient in Antioxi.

Cordyceps sinensis: This fungus not only contains antioxidants but also helps the body manage physical stress better and optimize oxygen use. This translates to more energy and less internal production of free radicals. It's found in our VibMax.

Turmeric: Its active principle, curcumin, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It helps neutralize existing free radicals and, at the same time, combats chronic inflammation, which is one of the main sources of oxidative stress in the body. In Cuminaloe, we find a very high amount of curcumin.

These are just some examples; all our nutrition products are rich in antioxidant ingredients; you can learn more using the Technical Sheet of each product.

Of course, there are many other minerals and compounds like Beta-carotenes (carrots, pumpkin...), Selenium (Brazil nuts, fish...), Zinc (legumes, meat...), Flavonoids (red fruits, blueberries...) or the wide variety of Polyphenols present in almost all fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

Combine External and Internal Protection

The smartest and most effective strategy is to combine both defenses. Imagine it's like protecting a castle: antioxidant cosmetics are the wall that stops direct attacks, while a diet rich in antioxidants are the soldiers that defend the interior and repair the damage. Together, they get the job done completely.

Neglecting one of the two parts is an incomplete strategy. On one hand, it's no use eating mountains of blueberries and then sunbathing without protection; the UV ray attack is so intense and direct that internal antioxidants aren't enough to stop the damage on the skin. On the other hand, we can use the best antioxidant cream in the world, but if our diet is poor, the skin will lack the nutritional "bricks" needed to repair, regenerate, and maintain its firm, healthy structure.

Get Your Defenses in Shape

Taking care of your health and beauty is simpler than it seems. The key is to be aware of the factors that influence it, like free radicals, and give our body the tools to defend itself.

• Know and reduce exposure to sources of free radicals.

• Don't forget antioxidants in your beauty routine to protect your skin from the outside.

• Fill your plate with colorful, nutritious foods to strengthen yourself from the inside.

Harness the power of antioxidants and your body and skin will thank you with ironclad health and a radiant appearance.