Antioxidants are molecule which inhibits the oxidation of other substance, thus reducing the damage that is caused due to oxygen. The effect of free radical is neutralized by them and prevent the oxidation reaction by oxidizing themselves. There are two types of antioxidants; natural and artificial antioxidant.
There is huge growing market of antioxidants and since it works on Gillette model (recurring purchase by consumers), intense marketing is being done in media. So much that even face-wash and shampoo(s) are also sold with antioxidants. 😀
Global Antioxidants (Natural and Synthetic) Market Poised to Surge From USD 2.25 Billion in 2014 to USD 3.25 Billion by 2020, Growing at 5.5% CAGR – Market Research Store [1]
Idea of slowing down aging is not just possible by food as modern medicine and pharma mafia proclaims. As per Ayurveda, it works based on three basic principles.
Food, Sleep and Brahmcharya.
त्रय उपस्तम्भा: आहार: स्वप्नो ब्रह्मचर्यमिति (चरक संहिता सूत्र. 11/35)
अर्थात् शरीर और स्वास्थ्य को स्थिर, सुदृढ़ और उत्तम बनाये रखने के लिए आहार, स्वप्न (निद्रा) और ब्रह्मचर्य – ये तीन उपस्तम्भ हैं। ‘उप’ यानी सहायक और ‘स्तम्भ’ यानी खम्भा। इन तीनों उप स्तम्भों का यथा विधि सेवन करने से ही शरीर और स्वास्थ्य की रक्षा होती है।
Food, full of preservatives. Late night movies and entertainment. And never-stopped sexual indulgence ever since you hit puberty. This is becoming norm in our teen age. Do you expect them to excel life with such life design?
We not only talk about sleep, timely and just enough sleep. If we sleep untimely or sleep more, it is not going to help!
निद्रा उचित समय पर उचित मात्रा में लेनी चाहिए। असमय तथा अधिक मात्रा में शयन करने से अथवा निद्रा का बिल्कुल त्याग कर देने से आरोग्य व आयुष्य का ह्रास होता है। दिन में शयन स्वास्थ्य के लिए अत्यन्त हानिकर है परंतु जो व्यक्ति अधिक अध्ययन, अत्यधिक श्रम करते हैं, धातु-क्षय से क्षीण हो गये हैं, रात्रि जागरण अथवा मुसाफिरी से थके हुए हैं वे बालक, वृद्ध, कृश, दुर्बल व्यक्ति दिन में शयन कर सकते हैं
दिन में सोने से होने वाली हानियाँ-
दिन में सोने से जठराग्नि मंद हो जाती है। अन्न का ठीक से पाचन न होकर अपाचित रस (आम) बन जाता है जिससे शरीर में भारीपन, शरीर टूटना, जी मिचलाना, सिरदर्द, हृदय में भारीपन, त्वचारोग आदि लक्षण उत्पन्न होते हैं। तमोगुण बढ़ने से स्मरणशक्ति व बुद्धि का नाश होता है।
अतिनिद्रा दूर करने के उपायः
उपवास, प्राणायाम व व्यायाम करने तथा तामसी आहार (लहसुन, प्याज, मूली, उड़द, बासी व तले हुए पदार्थ आदि) का त्याग करने से अतिनिद्रा का नाश होता है। [2]
Now, let us explore value of sleep as per modern research.
Research & References
A bidirectional relationship between sleep and oxidative stress in Drosophila
Most animals sleep; humans sleep nearly a third of their lives. Yet the fundamental functions of sleep remain unknown. Here, we used short-sleeping Drosophila mutants to uncover a role for sleep in resistance to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant responses. Although these short-sleeping mutants have defects in diverse pathways, they all exhibit sensitivity to oxidative stress. Moreover, increasing sleep in wild-type flies increased resistance to oxidative stress. This suggests that one function of sleep is to defend against oxidative stress. Finally, reducing oxidative stress in neurons of wild-type flies reduces their sleep, suggesting that oxidative stress also regulates sleep. Taken together, our results support an intriguing hypothesis for a bidirectional relationship between sleep and oxidative stress: oxidative stress triggers sleep, which then acts as an antioxidant for both the body and the brain. These results have implications for human patients suffering from chronic sleep restriction and diseases associated with oxidative stress.
http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2005206
[1] https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/19/globe-newswire-global-antioxidants-natural-and-synthetic-market-poised-to-surge-from-usd-225-billion-in-2014-to-usd-325-billion-by-2020.html
[2] http://www.ashram.org/Teachings/Healthy-Living/Ayurveda/ArtMID/2138/ArticleID/10468/%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE
