anti oxidants and free radicals

7/29/2019 Anti Oxidants and Free Radicals

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Antioxidants vs Free Radicals

Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals, enzymes, or plant-derived nutrients called

phytonutrients, found in food. They do what their name implies: ANTI-OXIDATION.

There are many known health benefits of antioxidant intake, including the following scientific examples:

Cancer

* People with high beta-carotene intakes have about one-third the cancer risk as people with low beta-carotene intakes. (Peto R. Cancer Surveys

1983;2:327-340.)

* People with higher intakes of vitamin C have about half the risk for many types of cancer when compared to people with low vitamin C intakes. (Block

G. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:270S-282S.)

* People with the highest intakes of vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene have a significantly lower risk of lung cancer. (Yong LC et al. Am J Epidemiol

1997;146:231-43.)

* Men who took vitamin E supplements for 10 years or more had a 30% lower risk of bladder cancer. (Michaud DS et al. Am J Epidemiol

2000;152:1145-53.)

* There are over 66 studies showing cancer-prevention activity of green tea, black tea, and their constituents. These include cancer reduction in the skin,lung, oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, bladder, small intestine, colon and prostate. (Lambert JD et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:284S-

291S.)

Heart Disease

* Elderly people who took both vitamin C and vitamin E supplements had a decreased risk of death from heart disease as well as overall mortality.

(Losonczy KG, Harris TB, Havlik RJ. Am J Clin Nutr 1996;64:190-196.)

* Men who took vitamin supplements had a 70% lower risk of dying from heart disease and a 50% lower risk of heart attack. (Meyer F, Bairati I,Dagenasis GR. Can J Cardiol 1996;12:930-934.)

* In the Nurses' Health Study involving over 87,000 women, there was a 41% reduction in risk of heart disease for those who took vitamin E for morethan two years. (Stampfer MJ, Hennekens CH, Manson JE, et al. New Engl J Med 1993;328:1444-1449.)

* In the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study involving almost 40,000 men, there was a 37% reduction in risk of heart disease in men who took vitaminE for more than two years. The average intake in the lowest risk group was 400 IU per day. (Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ. Ascherio A, et al. New Engl J Med

1993;328:1450-1456.)

* The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, includedalmost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables,

the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. (Joshipura KJ, et al. Ann Intern

Med 2001 Jun 19;134(12):1106-14.)

Other Chronic diseases

* Several long-term studies have shown a reduced risk ofcataracts in those who have taken vitamin C and/or vitamin E supplements for more than 10

years. (Jacques PF et al. Arch Ophthalmol 2001;119:1009-19.)

* The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) at NIH found that daily supplementation with antioxidants, zinc, and copper delayed progression ofage-related macular degeneration. (AREDS report no. 8. Arch Ophthalmol 2001;119:1417-36.)

* Research has shown a significant relationship between flavonoid intakes and the occurrence ofasthma. (Knekt P et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:560-8.)

* In a study on Alzheimer's disease, high levels of vitamin E delayed progression of the disease. (Sano M et al. N Engl J Med 1997;336:1216-22.)


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Why anti-oxidize?

Oxidation is a natural process of aging: the browning of an apple core exposed to air, or

rust on metal.

According toDr. Ray Strand, a world's authority on cellular nutrition and nutritionalmedicine, "our body is no different. We age mostly because we 'oxidize'. Our bodies'rust' on the inside due to oxidation."

Antioxidants resist that process by neutralizing free radicals. They protect the bodyfrom wear and tear by strengthening the immune system, muscles, bones, and skin.

Free radicals are molecules with a missing (unpaired) electron.

Free radicals scavenge around and 'steal' an electron from a 'healthy' molecule. Thisprocess is known as oxidation.

Free radical activity accompanies ALL DISEASE.

Any form of disease is preceded by high free radical activity that is not effectively

controlled by antioxidants. See the right side bar for details.

So, why anti-oxidize?

To protect our system against disease and aging.

Sources of Free Radicals

There are a certain number of free radicals produced when we simply metabolize ourfood. However, there are many other things that spur free radical production:

* Processed, overcooked, leftover foods* Sugar, and sugary foods

* Stress* Excessive exercise

* Pollutants in our air, food, and water* Alcohol* Extended sun exposure* Radiation* Medication* Cigarette smoke

Because of our stressful lifestyles, polluted environment, and over-medicated societies,this generation must contend with more free radicals than any previous generation.
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This leads to a problem known as oxidative stress, which is another phrase forOxidation.

Oxidative StressThis is when we produce more free radicals than we can manage to neutralize.Oxidative stress is literally the dark side of oxygen.

What to do to prevent it

We need to have enough antioxidants available to handle the number of free radicalsproduced.

The more antioxidants present in our body and diet, the less damage free radicals cancause.

Healthy Habit #12-8-1 Get a daily surplusof antioxidants in your food.

Our body has the ability to make some of its own antioxidants.

However, many of them (like Vitamin C) have to be supplied by the diet. Mostantioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables.

The major vitamin antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, whileselenium is the major mineral antioxidant.

Other commonly mentioned antioxidants are:- Alpha Lipoic Acid;- Grape Seed Extract;

- Gingko Biloba;- Green and White Tea;- Trace minerals: zinc, copper, magnesium, potassium;

- Co-Enzyme Q10.

However, a thorough examination of antioxidants and their importance to human health

must include a much larger list of compounds potentially present in a healthy, varieddiet (see the tables below).

Foods that contain the highest amounts of antioxidants:


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* Berries: Acai berries (pronounced 'Ah-sigh-ee'), Goji berries, blueberries, and other kinds(blackberries, cranberries, boysenberries, elderberries, raspberries)

* Pomegranate (best in whole form, NOT juice)

* Tropical fruits (mango, papaya, passionfruit, pineapple)

* Sea Vegetables (Dulse, Hijiki, Kelp, Kombu, Nori, Akame, Wakame)

* Teas and Infusions (white, green, rooibos, yerba mate)

* Micro-Algae (chlorella, spirulina, blue green algae)

* Green Leafy Vegetables (chard, kale, spinach, collards, other greens)

* Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage)

* Grasses (wheatgrass, barley, parsley, cilantro, dill)

* Sprouts (alfalfa, broccoli, radish, wheat berries, mung beans)

Yeee-Haaaa!

Phytonutrient antioxidants present in a healthy diet:

Allyl Sulfides ---- Onions, garlic, leeks, chives

Carotenoids (e.g. lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin) ---- Tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, kale,spinach

Curcumin ---- Turmeric

Flavonoids (e.g. anthocyanadins, resveratrol, quercitin, catechins) ---- Grapes, blueberries,

strawberries, cherries, apples, grapefruit, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries

Glutathione ---- Green Leafy Vegetables

Indoles ---- Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy

Isoflavones ---- Legumes (peas, soybeans)

Isothiocyanates (e.g. sulforaphane) ---- Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bokchoy


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Lignans ---- Seeds (flax seeds, sunflower seeds)

Monoterpenes ---- Citrus fruit peels, cherries, nuts

Phytic Acid ---- Whole grains, legumes

Phenols, polyphenols, phenolic compounds (e.g. ellagic acid, ferrulic acid, tannins) ----

Grapes, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, grapefruit, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, tea

Saponins ---- Beans, Legumes

If you feel that you may not get enough on a daily basis, adding nutritional

supplements to your diet can be critical to your sense of well-being and overall health.

Healthy Habit #12-8-2 Take antioxidant supplementsif you don't get enough of them from food,or have a high degree of oxidative stress.

Remember it is all about balance. To avoid oxidative stress, you want enough

antioxidants to handle the free radicals produced.

Make sure that the supplements are of high quality: The manufacturer adheres by theGMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards, or better yet, by pharmaceuticalstandards, which ensures the quality, purity, and dissolution of the supplements.

Free radical protection is the main reason to take nutritional supplements, but notthe only reason. View the page onDetoxification, where Antioxidants also play a bigrole.

More Reasons for Vitamins and Minerals

1. Free Radical Protection;

2. Detoxification;

3. Nutritional deficiencies due to dietary choices, depleted soil and food, greenharvesting (fruits and vegetables are picked way before ripe), and long-distanceshipping, poor storage, processing, and poor food preparation methods.

4. Reduce Inflammation (allergies, etc.)
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5. See the side bar for other health conditions benefiting from Antioxidant intake.

Antioxidants minimize damage to your cells from free radicals.

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WebMD Feature Archive

ByJeanie Lerche Davis

WebMD Feature

Reviewed byCharlotte Grayson Mathis, MD

An apple slice turns brown. Fish becomes rancid. A cut on your skin is raw and inflamed. All of these

result from a natural process called oxidation. It happens to all cells in nature, including the ones inyour body.

To help your body protect itself from the rigors of oxidation, Mother Nature provides thousands of

different antioxidants in various amounts in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.

When your body needs to put up its best defense, especially true in today's environment,

antioxidants are crucial to your health.

How Antioxidants Help Prevent Oxidation

As oxygen interacts with cells of any type - an apple slice or, in your body, the cells lining your lungs

or in a cut on your skin -- oxidation occurs. This produces some type of change in those cells. They

may die, such as with rotting fruit. In the case of cut skin, dead cells are replaced in time by fresh,

new cells, resulting in a healed cut.

This birth and death of cells in the body goes on continuously, 24 hours a day. It is a process that is

necessary to keep the body healthy. "Oxidation is a very natural process that happens during normal

cellular functions," researcher Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor of nutrition at Tufts University in

Boston, tells WebMD.

Yet there is a downside. "While the body metabolizes oxygen very efficiently, 1% or 2% of cells will

get damaged in the process and turn into free radicals," he says.

"Free radicals" is a term often used to describe damaged cells that can be problematic. They are

"free" because they are missing a critical molecule, which sends them on a rampage to pair with

another molecule. "These molecules will rob any molecule to quench that need," Blumberg says.

The Danger of Free Radicals

When free radicals are on the attack, they don't just kill cells to acquire their missing molecule. "If

free radicals simply killed a cell, it wouldn't be so bad the body could just regenerate another one,"

he says. "The problem is, free radicals often injure the cell, damaging the DNA, which creates the

seed for disease."
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When a cell's DNA changes, the cell becomes mutated. It grows abnormally and reproduces

abnormally -- and quickly.

Normal cell functions produce a small percentage of free radicals, much like a car engine that emits

fumes. But those free radicals are generally not a big problem. They are kept under control byantioxidants that the body produces naturally, Blumberg explains.

External toxins, especially cigarette smoke and air pollution, are "free radical generators," he says.

"Cigarette smoke is a huge source of free radicals." In fact, our food and water also harbor free

radicals in the form of pesticides and other toxins. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol also

triggers substantial free radical production.

Antioxidants minimize damage to your cells from free radicals.(continued)


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The Danger of Free Radicals continued...

Free radicals trigger a damaging chain reaction, and that's the crux of the problem. "Free radicals

are dangerous because they don't just damage one molecule," Blumberg explains. "One free radical

can set off a whole chain reaction. When a free radical oxidizes a fatty acid, it changes that fatty acid

into a free radical, which then damages another fatty acid. It's a very rapid chain reaction."

These external attacks can overwhelm the body's natural free-radical defense system. In time, and

with repeated free radical attacks that the body cannot stop, that damage can lead to a host of

chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

Oxidative damage in skin cells is caused by cumulative sunlight. But if free radicals are in an internal

organ - for example, if asbestos is in your lungs -- it stimulates free radical reactions in lung tissue.

"Cigarette smoke has active free radical generators," says Blumberg. That's why stopping smoking

is the biggest step anyone can take to preserving their health.

Getting Antioxidants in Your Diet

In the 21st century, people need to get more antioxidants in their diet to offset all these assaults, hesays. "These toxins are ubiquitous in the environment. If you live in a city, you breathe the air. The

oxidative burden [on the body] is much, much, much higher than it was 200 years ago. It's a fact of

modern life, so we have to take that into consideration."When you follow the USDA's advice to eat multiple servings of fruits and vegetables, you're

compensating for the effects of environmental toxins. Your body simply doesn't produce enough

antioxidants to do all that, says Blumberg.

What exactly do they do? Antioxidants work to stop this damaging, disease-causing chain reaction

that free radicals have started. Each type of antioxidant works either to prevent the chain reaction or

stop it after it's started, Blumberg explains.


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Types of Antioxidants

"For example, the role ofvitamin C is to stop the chain reaction before it starts," he says. "It

captures the free radical and neutralizes it. Vitamin E is a chain-breaking antioxidant. Wherever it is

sitting in a membrane, it breaks the chain reaction."

Flavonoids are the biggest class of antioxidants. Researchers have identified some 5,000flavonoids in various foods, Blumberg tells WebMD.

Polyphenols are a smaller class of antioxidants, which scientists often refer to as "phenols." (Terms

like phytonutrient and phytochemical are more generic terms that researchers sometimes use to

describe nutrients and chemicals in plants.)

"We have clear science about antioxidants, that our bodies need a Natural Antioxidant Defense

Network, for lack of a better term," Blumberg says. "Just like a country needs a military system, the

human body needs defense workers at all levels -- lieutenants, corporals, generals, staff sergeants -

in the form of antioxidants."

Antioxidants minimize damage to your cells from free radicals.(continued)


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Getting the Right Mix of Antioxidants

The body needs a mix of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene, to

neutralize this free radical assault.

"We can't rely on a few blockbuster foods to do the job," says Blumberg. "You can't eat nine servings

of broccoli a day and expect it to do it all. We need to eat many different foods. Each type works in

different tissues of the body, in different parts of cells. Some are good at quenching some free

radicals, some are better at quenching others. When you have appropriate amounts of different

antioxidants, you're doing what you can to protect yourself."

Multivitamins and vitamin supplements can provide the body with an antioxidant boost. Yet getting

too much of some supplements, like vitamin E, can be harmful. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains,legumes, and nuts contain complex mixes of antioxidants, and therein lies the benefit of eating a

variety of healthy foods, says Blumberg.

Researchers continue delving into the mysteries of fruits and vegetables, identifying the complexantioxidants they contain. Quercetin, luteolin, hesperetin, catetchin, even (-)-epigallocetechin are

some of the stars they have found -- the blockbuster flavonoids in our foods.

Continue reading below...

"Sure, you can live your whole life without getting epicatechin 3-gallate, a flavonoid found in huge

quantities in green tea," says Blumberg. "But if having it in your diet promotes better health, why nottry it?"

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