DIETARY ANTIOXIDANTS TO PROP UP VIGOUR & VITALITY: AN OVERVIEW

One of the important objectives of modern health care, in addition to prevention of diseases, is the developmentof active treatments that control illnesses with minimum side effects to the body. Ayurvedic medicines, theancient medicinal system of India, have been both preventive and active pharmacological treatment areas oflong-standing expertise. As a rule, treatments in Ayurveda have been designed to be harmless while still offeringbroad regulating effects for the body. Ayurveda identified a large number of plant components to be used in dietfor the prevention of delayed development of degenerative disorders. They include some of the commonly usedspices viz. pepper, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, coriander, fenugreek, etc. The Materia Medica includes bothnaturally occurring and artificially produced salts, as a partial substitute for common salt. Health promoting herbsand spices which are classified pharmacologically as rejuvenating, nourishing, invigorating, cleansing, woundhealing,etc. are employed as food additives. Antioxidants are moieties that protect the cells against the effects offree radicals which are generated when body breaks down food, or by environmental stress. When we talk aboutbenefits of antioxidants, the amount taken is not so important. The number of different antioxidants absorbed byour body - that is the key! We need to consume a variety of different antioxidants. This is a crucial point which wemust remember while looking at antioxidant supplements. Vitamin E is one vitamin antioxidants that serve toprotect damage to the body’s cells from free radicals. Its function is to reduce the risk of blood clots, bloodcoagulant, and preventing blockage of blood vessels, strengthens capillary walls of blood vessels, increase theformation of RBCs, reduce blood sugar levels, improve insulin work, and increase muscle strength and stamina. Inaddition, vitamin E can affect the hormones, prevent nerve degeneration of vision, preventing damage to nervecells, increase sexual arousal, as well as maintain and strengthen the immune WBCs. Vitamin E is also known as‘virility vitamin’, because it plays an important role for human fertility. Because it's a good idea to take a variety ofantioxidants that should be consumed, a general suggestion from health care specialists is to eat 5 to 9 (or more)servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Colorful plant foods such as purple, dark green, yellow, orange, blue,and red ones are better for you than barely-green lettuce. Plants of different colors contain differentantioxidants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), also known as free radicals, are produced as part of the metabolicprocesses necessary for life. These are required or various functions like cell growth and energy production. Butconversely their increased concentrations and non-removal from of the body can lead to abnormalities likeneurodegerative disorders and cancer. Anti oxidants detoxify these free radicals and help in their removal fromthe body. By neutralising these ROS, antioxidants also slow down the aging process. Common antioxidantsinclude vitamin C and E. Free radicals damage cells, and play a prominent role in the life threatening diseases.Antioxidants found in natural products help fighting free radicals. In this manuscript, role of various antioxidantsin scavenging free radicals and providing resistance power to the body is delineated precisely.KEYWORDS: Vitamins; Damaging effects;; Redox homeostasis; Polyphenols; Free radicals; Defence mechanism;Environmental factors; Genetic material; Flavonoids; RDA; ROS; ORAC; Minerals