I am sure by now you have heard all about the antioxidants found in green tea. But, do you know what antioxidants are or how they work. The quality of a antioxidant can help prevent harmful diseases such as cancer and heart disease. I suppose your wandering why anything that is anti-oxygen can be good for your body.

Antioxidants themselves don’t do anything to oxygen. What they do, do is fight a chemical reaction in your body called oxidation. I am sure your saying right now, wait a second - that’s what causes metal to rust - I am not made of metal! Your right to say that but oxidation is the interaction between oxygen molecules and the substances they come in contact with. If this just so happens to be living tissue, then that’s when disease occurs.

The harm caused by oxidation, is result of free radicals, highly reactive, unstable molecules that travel around the body wreaking havoc. Although free radicals can be generated by exposure to UV rays, toxins, cigarette smoke, microbes and other sources, the most common source is the oxygen molecule itself.

Paired together, oxygen travels through out your body and each molecule has its own electron. Often what happens is this double molecule splits into two half’s which leaves one molecule with out and electron to go with it. Feeling of balanced, the single molecule races around your body trying to repair itself and find a new electron to pair up with.

The molecule does not just wait for a spare electron to pop up, but what it does is it steals one from another molecule. The problem keeps reoccurring over and over again. The process is what causes cells to be damaged, and the entire body system gets effected by it. This is believed to be the major cause of cancer, heart disease and aging.

What antioxidants do is fight against this constant stealing of electrons. Your inner body police, is the best way to look at it. How they work is they donate electrons to the free radicals so the urge to steel is gone. You body does produce a certain amount of antioxidants, but not nearly enough!

Among others, these include beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, the mineral selenium, and various phytochemicals such as lycopene and quercetin. But the catechins, especially EGCg, are among the most powerful and effective antioxidants of all.

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