Antioxidants
You have likely heard the term “antioxidant” before: it is a catchy nutritional term that is frequently used in health food circles. But perhaps you have heard the term without receiving an explanation of what antioxidants actually are (in this case, we highly recommend reading this informative article at Healthline here). Allow us to provide a brief summary, since an understanding of these molecules is vital to understanding why Sweet G is so special and important!
Antioxidants ideally exist in the body in similar proportion to free radicals. Free radicals are chaotic molecules that are helpful in moderate numbers, but can be dangerous if their numbers are left unchecked; antioxidants exist to control these numbers. Our bodies make some antioxidants on their own, but the rest need to be obtained from our diet. Some people turn to concentrated antioxidant supplements, but there is a danger of “overdosing” when taken in this form, similar to the problem caused when someone takes a large amount of a certain vitamin in combination with specific foods or other vitamins (“Antioxidants Explained in Simple Terms”).
As you can see, antioxidants are vital for overall health but, like most nutrients, they aren’t always convenient to incorporate into our diets. This is where Sweet G comes in. Our garlic and dark chocolate are both full of antioxidants, making our snacks a safer (and sweeter!) alternative to antioxidant pills.
- Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010). Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 4(8), 118–126.