This is vital for nourishing brain cells and other organs with oxygen and nutrients. This good blood circulation may also help maintain eyesight and research has shown success by using flavanoid rich foods and herbs to treat varicose veins. Once your liver has processed toxins which could stress your body and prematurely age it, they are sent to your intestines. To prevent them from being re-absorbed into your blood, it is important to keep your bowels working well and the fibre in wholegrains such as brown rice, wholemeal bread and porridge is especially helpful. Wholegrains are also rich in the free-radical fighter, vitamin E and B vitamins, which are needed to keep your nervous system healthy and to combat heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Brown rice is rich in methionine, which is needed to make free-radical fighting enzymes.
All cells need the right amount of water to stay healthy. Research suggests that dehydration, due to drinking tea, coffee and alcohol, is a common problem. Long-term dehydration can lead to problems such as kidney damage and cell and joint deterioration over time, so it is really important to drink eight glasses of water a day and build this into your regular daily routine. Carotenes, including beta carotene found in carrots and lycopene found in tomatoes, are especially effective against a particular type of free radical known as 'single oxygen'. A further bonus of these cabbage family superfoods is their ability to help prevent osteoporosis by providing an excellent source of vitamin K, which is needed for bone formation and repair.