Antioxidants is a collective term for substances such as vitamins E and C, trace elements such as selenium and bioactive substances, as present in fruits and vegetables.
Ionized alkaline water has large amounts of antioxidants. Thus, ionized alkaline water is used to protect against free radicals.
Free radicals are aggressive substances that can cause damage to cells and tissues. Thus, antioxidants can help against this damage and thus possibly prevent diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease in the long run.
Antioxidants protect tissues and the DNA in cells from free radicals. Free radicals are aggressive substances that can cause damage to cells and tissues. When they cause damage, we call it oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress occurs when too many free radicals are present or when these substances are in undesirable places in the body. There is evidence that oxidative stress can potentially cause cardiovascular disease, cancer and nervous system damage after a long period of time.
There is also strong evidence that free radicals play a role in aging processes. Antioxidants that enter the body through healthy food and drink render free radicals harmless, thus helping to slow these processes as a preventative against aging.
In some cases, however, free radicals actually have a beneficial effect. In fact, immune cells use these free radicals to kill unwanted bacteria or to clean up damaged proteins in muscles after exercise. Free radicals are created by normal metabolism, as well as by smoking and sunbathing. Furthermore, in certain diseases, many free radicals can be formed, such as in inflammatory reactions.