How Can We Control The Amount Of Free Radicals In The Body?

The simplest way to limit the amount of free radicals that you have in your body is via your diet. Easy as that. Foods that are high in antioxidants are great because antioxidants neutralize the free radicals by donating an electron and ending the electron stealing they are doing. So the high amount of antioxidants you eat/consume the less chance you have of free radicals building up. They don't become unstable when donating an electron as they are stable in any form and act as hunters preventing cell and tissue damage that could eventually lead to disease, in particular heart disease from heart cell damage.

Antioxidants are found in huge forms in vitamins E and C.

Vitamin C is a water soluble antioxidant which acts to prevent free radical formation from pollution and cigarette smoke mainly.

In terms of how these vitamins can fight disease it is proven that increased levels of vitamin E prevent coronary heart diseases by defending against the bad cholesterol and plaque blocking the arteries. And vitamin C is linked to reduced levels of cancers of the mouth, larynx and oesophagus.

What can I do to get more antioxidants?

Increasing your fruit and vegetable intake is the best way to get your body jam packed with free radical fighting antioxidants. There are a range of foods that are high in vitamin C such as citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli and potatoes. Vitamin E is found in abundance in nuts, seeds and cereal products that are fortified with the vitamin. Increase the daily intake of these kinds of foods to help meet your daily need. However, there is little evidence about the effects of too much of these vitamins so its not a good idea to go out and buy lots of supplements to improve the amount. Stick to no more than 100mg of vitamin C a day and about 50mg of vitamin E.

The best advice I can give is rather than try and work out how much of each vitamin you are or aren't getting is to simply eat a varied and balanced diet. 

See Also: Antioxidants And Anticancer Therapy: Benefits And Controversies

Free radicals are not something to be afraid of and they have been in our bodies as long as the human race has existed. They are receiving more media attention due to a more unhealthy way of living leading to people developing more diseases and conditions that are sped up possibly due to increased free radicals. But it is very hard to prove that free radicals are even causing some of these problems and for most people they will never become an issue. Eat a varied diet and avoid lots of processed foods to limit your risk of developing unnecessary free radicals.