![]() The research results were mixed, but most did not find the hoped-for benefits. Supplement makers touted the disease-fighting properties of all sorts of antioxidants. Clinical trials began testing the impact of single substances in supplement form, especially beta-carotene and vitamin E, as weapons against chronic diseases.Įven before the results of these trials were in, the media and the supplement and food industries began to hype the benefits of “antioxidants.” Frozen berries, green tea, and other foods labeled as being rich in antioxidants began popping up in stores. Some studies showed that people with low intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables were at greater risk for developing these chronic conditions than were people who ate plenty of those foods. It was also linked to cancer, vision loss, and a host of other chronic conditions. Health benefits of antioxidants: what’s the buzz?Īntioxidants came to public attention in the 1990s, when scientists began to understand that free radical damage was involved in the early stages of artery-clogging atherosclerosis. This means that no single substance can do the work of the whole crowd. They almost certainly evolved as parts of elaborate networks, with each different substance (or family of substances) playing slightly different roles. Each one has unique chemical behaviors and biological properties. Another big misconception is that antioxidants are interchangeable. Some substances that act as antioxidants in one situation may be pro-oxidants-electron grabbers-in a different situation. It is really a chemical property, namely, the ability to act as an electron donor. Most are naturally occurring, and their presence in food is likely to prevent oxidation or to serve as a natural defense against the local environment.īut using the term “antioxidant” to refer to substances is misleading. They’re joined by glutathione, coenzyme Q10, lipoic acid, flavonoids, phenols, polyphenols, phytoestrogens, and many more. The most familiar ones are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and other related carotenoids, along with the minerals selenium and manganese. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of different substances that can act as antioxidants. They are also involved in mechanisms that repair DNA and maintain the health of cells. These defenders are labeled “antioxidants.” They work by generously giving electrons to free radicals without turning into electron-scavenging substances themselves. We also extract free-radical fighters from food. The body, long used to this relentless attack, makes many molecules that quench free radicals as surely as water douses fire. We aren’t defenseless against free radicals. An excessive chronic amount of free radicals in the body causes a condition called oxidative stress, which may damage cells and lead to chronic diseases. Or it can alter a cell’s membrane, changing the flow of what enters the cell and what leaves it. It can make a circulating low-density lipoprotein (LDL, sometimes called bad cholesterol) molecule more likely to get trapped in an artery wall. Free radical damage can change the instructions coded in a strand of DNA. This electron theft can radically alter the “loser’s” structure or function. What they all share is a voracious appetite for electrons, stealing them from any nearby substances that will yield them. įree radicals come in many shapes, sizes, and chemical configurations. Free radicals are also formed after exercising or exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution, and sunlight. The body generates free radicals as the inevitable byproducts of turning food into energy. In very high levels, they are capable of damaging cells and genetic material. Another constant threat comes from chemicals called free radicals. The body’s trillion or so cells face formidable threats, from lack of food to infection with a virus. ![]() – Bottom line on antioxidants and disease prevention What are antioxidants? – Studies of antioxidant supplements and disease prevention – Health benefits of antioxidants: what’s the buzz? ![]() Often used as a marketing buzzword, learn about the role of antioxidants beyond the hype, and some of the research on health and disease prevention.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |