Underground Journal

Antioxidant Juice Recipes

Antioxidants are chemicals  in fruits and vegetables that protect our cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that are the by product of the many chemical reactions that go on within us all the time. There are also external sources of free radicals that we can be affected by too, such as UV light, pollution and smoke.

The cell damage caused by free radicals can lead to a variety of health conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and premature aging. Antioxidants are our only protection against free radicals, so we need to ensure that we eat antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables everyday.

Beta-carotene
Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that has anti-aging benefits and heart protective properties. A Massachusetts study examined the diets of 1,300 elderly people. Researchers found that those who ate a daily portion of beta-carotene rich carrots and/or squash were 60% less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who ate less then a daily serving.

Beta-carotene is also converted by the liver into vitamin A, a vitamin that is an essential part of a healthy immune system.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an integral part of the immune system that fights off viruses like colds and flu. It is also a potent antioxidant the protects us from heart disease. Vitamin C protects LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol cells from free radical damage that would otherwise ‘harden’ the cholesterol into the artery wall. This is a process that would develop into atherosclerosis, a leading risk factor for heart disease. Vitamin C also helps to lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure if taken regularly. Vitamin C’s health benefits are also stronger when taken in the form of food rather than supplementation.

Juicing for Antioxidants
Juicing benefits us by providing us with an abundance of antioxidants like beta-carotene and vitamin C. When we juice, we use a lot more fruits and vegetables to make one juice than we could possibly eat. This creates an antioxidant dense super drink. Here are some recipes that are all good sources of beta-carotene and vitamin C.

Fruit Juice Recipes #1 – Strawberry Dash
1 apple
1 cup of blueberries
2 strawberries

Fruit Juice recipes #2 – Immune System Booster
1 orange
1 kiwi
1/2 mango

Vegetable Juice Recipes #1 – Cucapple Zipper
2 – 1/2 apples
1/2 cucumber
1″ slice of fresh ginger

Vegetable Juice Recipes #2 – Eye Eye Captain
8 carrots
1 cup of kale

Breakfast Juice Recipes #1 – Breakfast Blend
1 grapefruit
1 orange

Breakfast Juice Recipes #2 – Orange and Pear
3 oranges
3 pears

Nick Adams

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