In the early 1990s, the health and wellness community introduced a new term to our common vernacular: antioxidants. Now a popular buzzword, “antioxidants” is a term that gets thrown around to encompass a whole family of disease-fighting molecules. While some of us understand that we can absorb antioxidants into our body through eating fruits and vegetables, most people don’t know exactly why antioxidants provide health benefits and how those benefits can directly affect our children’s nutrition.
Free Radicals and Oxidative Stress Explained
As you age, workout, and digest food, your body tissues suffer from “oxidative stress” due to the process of oxidation. Oxidation occurs when molecules within your body lose electrons to electrically-charged molecules of oxygen in your blood stream. These electrically charged oxygen molecules are called "free radicals," and they have the potential to cause damage to cellular DNA.
When surrounded by cigarette smoke, air pollution, and sunlight, we continue to expose our bodies to various forms of free radicals. The damaged DNA produced by oxidative stress can eventually lead to diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and eye diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Antioxidants to the Rescue
We aren’t defenseless against free radicals. Our bodies, which are used to constant attacks, use many various forms of molecules that react to and destroy free radicals. We also extract free-radical fighters from food. These defenders are often lumped together as “antioxidants.” These special molecules play a significant role in your overall health, and they even control how fast you age. Some benefits of antioxidants include:
- Repairing damaged molecules: Some unique types of antioxidants can repair damaged molecules by donating a hydrogen atom. This is very important when the molecule is a critical one, like your DNA.
- Blocking metal radical production– Some antioxidants are so powerful, they can grab toxic metals like mercury and arsenic, which can cause free radical formation, and "hug" them so strongly that they prevent any chemical reaction from taking place.
- Stimulating gene expression and boost immune system – Some antioxidants can stimulate your body's genes and increase your natural defenses.
- Provide a shielding effect– Antioxidants, such as flavonoids, can act as a virtual shield by attaching to your DNA to protect it from free radicals attacks.
- Encourage cancer cells to die – Some antioxidants can provide anti-cancer chemicals that halt cancer growth and force some cancer cells to self-destruct.
While most research points to the disease-fighting power of antioxidants, when taken out of their natural state, and consumed via a supplement, science has observed little to no positive effect. Therefore, simply taking a pill does not provide you with the same benefits as eating fruits and vegetables as nature intended.
The Bambino’s Approach
Bambino’s Frozen Baby Food was created and designed to provide babies with the absolute best nutrition possible. This is why every product we offer starts with fresh organic ingredients farmed just for us. Our recipes are inspired by leading research and supported by pediatricians and allergists for allergy prevention, nutrition, and superior flavor.
We include powerful antioxidants in all of our menu items. We do this in obvious ways through our fruit and vegetable items, but we always include sweet onion into our food purees to boost the antioxidant effects. Our onions are never harsh or overpowering, but rather give an added nutritional bonus.
Why Onions?
Onions provide an incredibly powerful and rich source of Quercetin, a powerful antioxidant flavonoid. Quercetin has been shown to thin the blood, lower cholesterol, raise good-type HDL cholesterol, ward off blood clots, fight asthma, chronic bronchitis, hay fever, diabetes, atherosclerosis and infections and is specifically linked to inhibiting human stomach cancer.
On top of all of that, this special antioxidant is known to be an anti-inflammatory. Some research even suggests it has cancer-fighting powers.
When you choose Bambino’s Frozen Baby Food, your baby is guaranteed to receive the amazing power of antioxidants in every bite. We help parents grow strong, healthy babies. All of our products begin with ingredients grown in Alaska's pure, natural and untainted soils by certified organic and natural farmers, specifically for Bambino’s Baby Food. Our natural ingredients are never pre-frozen and go directly from the farmer straight into our meals. We guarantee parents quality and convenience. Our mission is simple: Real food parents can trust, and flavors children will love.
Resources:
Harvard School of Public Health
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/
Dr. Mercola
http://articles.mercola.com/antioxidants.aspx
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants/introduction.htm#introduction
News Medical: Life Sciences and Medicine
http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Oxidative-Stress.aspx
Foods-Healing-Power.com
http://www.foods-healing-power.com/health-benefits-of-onions.html#sthash.4keeJJum.dpuf