We’ve talked a bit before in the blog about how grass-fed beef can help fight potentially cancerous cells. These dangerous cells are called free radicals, and today we’ll explain how antioxidants found in grass-fed beef can help combat them, along with the other benefits antioxidants provide to your body. 

Free radicals form in the body, but your body is put under stress when there aren’t enough resources to counteract them. This is called oxidative stress. Fighting the free radicals with antioxidants found in foods like grass-fed beef can alleviate any negative side effects these free radicals might cause if allowed to continue.

How do antioxidants work? Antioxidants from our nutrition act as scavengers for these free radicals. They help to heal the cell and disable bad side effects by linking the unstable free radicals to other atoms, which pairs the electrons in the outer shell and creates something stable again. 

What are the antioxidants? Some antioxidants are vitamins C and E, carotenoids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols and lignans. There are likely thousands of different substances that can act as antioxidants! To understand this, we can look at the word itself. “Antioxidant” can be misleading, as it actually refers to a chemical property. It simply means that this substance can freely give of its electrons (without scavenging them back). 

Are all antioxidants the same? Not at all! Though many substances can act as antioxidants, they still all have their own unique chemical properties and benefits. The good news is that grass-fed beef is a great antioxidant. Consuming this, along with other foods high in antioxidants, as a regular part of your diet can help protect your body. Free radicals can lead to cancer and heart disease, and they can be caused by external factors too, like stress, lack of exercise or inhaling smoke. 

Help protect your body with antioxidants while consuming great, delicious food in the form of steaks, roasts and so much more. Purchase your own grass-fed beef from Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch today.