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What Are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are compounds in the body that work specifically to block free-radical damage to cells. Free-radicals are compounds that have an unpaired electron, leaving them unstable in the body and hungry for that lost electron. These free-radicals will try to steal an electron from healthy cells—the cells that make up our valuable tissues and organs. If the free-radical is successful in taking the electron, the healthy cell becomes unstable and will set off a chain reaction of damage as it tries to gain a new electron from other healthy cells. Free-radical damage can trigger a disease-ridden state in the body by destroying cell DNA and producing cancer cells, oxidizing LDL cholesterol into artery-clogging plaque, deteriorating the eyes and contributing to inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis.

How Do Antioxidants Work?
Antioxidants come to the rescue by stopping these free-radicals dead in their tracks. Antioxidants are special compounds that can donate an electron to the unstable molecule without become unstable themselves. There are a number of vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients that act as powerful antioxidants, working to neutralize free-radicals and protect healthy cells. Vitamins C and E, selenium, carotenoids, flavonoids, and alpha-lipoic acid are all potent antioxidants.
Why Do Low-Carb Dieters Need Antioxidants?
There are 2 reasons that low-carb dieters need antioxidants on a daily basis:
  1. Not only are free-radicals caused by environmental pollutants, cigarette smoke and other impurities, they are also a normal by-product of metabolism. During weight loss, stored energy, such as fat, is burned; a process that creates free-radicals. The body can handle a normal production of free-radicals, but an overload brought on by the increased breakdown of calories can overwhelm the body's system. When this happens, extra antioxidants need to be supplied from the diet or from supplementation.
  2. Low-carb diets often exclude fruits and vegetables from meals, either temporarily or for a longer period of time. Fruits and vegetables are the richest sources of most antioxidants available to the human body. One exception to that is Vitamin E, which is a fat-soluble vitamin and is available in fatty foods that are allowed on low-carb diets. Without an abundance of antioxidants coming from the diet, the body can be overloaded with free-radical damage.
How Can I Get More Antioxidants?
If you're allowed fruits and vegetables in your diet, then this is an easy answer: Eat more fruits and vegetables! If not, think about taking antioxidants in supplement form, most of which can often be provided in a daily multivitamin. Look for these antioxidants on the vitamin's label to ensure that you're getting as much free-radical help as you can get:
  • Alpha-lipoic acid: protects cells by helping recycle other antioxidant, boosting their positive effects.
  • Carotenoids, such as: beta-carotene (vitamin A), alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
  • Flavonoids, such as: quercitin, EGCG (from green tea), and genistein (from soy)
  • Vitamin C: the main water-soluble antioxidant that fights damage intracellularly
  • Vitamin E: a fat-soluble antioxidant present in cell membranes, working as each cell's primary defense to free-radical damage
  • Selenium: acts as part of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase that assists vitamin E in protecting healthy cells from free-radical damage.
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