In part 1 of our anti-aging series, we explored the importance of heart health for women and the cardio-boosting polyphenols that nobody, especially women over 50, should be without.

Polyphenols are just one class of antioxidants—our most powerful weapons against free radicals that can accelerate aging and lead to many of the health problems we’re working hard to avoid. From environmental toxins to by-products stemming from normal cell growth—free radical threats are everywhere! And antioxidants are equipped to neutralize them.

You’re probably familiar with the most famous plant-based antioxidants, like resveratrol and turmeric. And some are produced within your body, such as CoQ10.

And when you look at antioxidants’ immense power to protect and restore the health of your skin, heart, memory and stamina, you’ll consider elevating their status in your daily health routine.

Are all free radicals dangerous?

With good reason, you’ve come to think of free radicals as vicious enemies to be feared; unstable biological missiles that seek and destroy healthy cells, stealing your youthfulness and good health.

Free radicals come in many forms and from many sources. Some of these scavengers enter your body externally, through UV rays, pollution and household chemicals, while others are created internally as a natural by-product of exercise, detoxification, digestion and other healthy functions.

No matter the source, all free radicals can cause premature aging and be destructive to genetic material when they accumulate and overtake your body’s ability to purge them. And there’s an especially sneaky form of free radical you’ll want to eliminate from your body fast—one that creeps up slowly and creates turmoil for your skin, immune system, joints, heart and circulation. 

Beware of hidden inflammation

Singlet oxygen is one of the most harmful forms of free radical oxidation, because you can’t avoid it.

A reaction to sunlight and oxygen colliding, this oxidative stress triggers an inflammatory response in the body, causing a gradual “rusting out” of cells that presents itself in the form of creaky joints, achy muscles, and other common signs of aging you want to avoid as long as you can.

Singlet oxygen is considered “hidden inflammation” due to its ever-present, low-grade nature that can exist undetected yet be so disruptive to how you look and feel.  

The antioxidant that makes everything you do, better

Just as there’s turmeric to preserve freedom of movement, bergamot for heart health and resveratrol to help rejuvenate your cells, there’s a plant-based antioxidant renowned for its ability to chip away at hidden inflammation and sweep it away before it can cause damage.

Astaxanthin is a powerful microalga that has survived and thrived on earth for billions of years. As a carotenoid, its deep-red color cannot hide its strength to counteract the interaction between sunlight and oxygen that can harm the body. I personally take a triple dose of astaxanthin every day to counter the effects.   

Astaxanthin is one of the few fat-soluble antioxidants, which gives it the remarkable ability to circulate through the bloodstream. This is an all-access pass into every cell, tissue and organ in your body, and has the ability to combat oxidative stress effectively. And compared to other antioxidants, astaxanthin is especially effective at neutralizing singlet oxidation—the most damaging type of free radical oxidation.

Like many nutrients, astaxanthin’s benefits are enhanced when combined with another powerful antioxidant, CoQ10. Considered vital for heart health, CoQ10 is produced within the body itself and should be supplemented through diet since production decreases with age and with the use of certain medications, especially cholesterol-lowering statins.

To get the benefits of both, try NAOMI Extra Strength Astaxanthin + CoQ10. It features pure, non-GMO astaxanthin with triple the typical dose – the same dose that I take every day to fight free radical damage. It also contains 200 mg of Kaneka^®CoQ10, a pure and well-researched CoQ10 ingredient that’s bioidentical to the form produced by your body.

Protecting yourself has never been easier—just one daily capsule supplies the antioxidant power to combat hidden inflammation body-wide for the healthy skin, joints, muscles and heart that help you look and feel your best as you age.