ANTIOXIDANTS IN ELDERLY

Charity BlairNutrition and AgingNovember 21, 2011

OBJECTIVES Define Antioxidants Sources of Antioxidants (Dietary vs.

Supplement) Intake Recommendations Antioxidants in Disease Prevention

DEFINITION Antioxidants

Defined: a substance that can inhibit reactions of free radicals such as reactive species of oxygen; used to describe Vitamin C and E, selenium, zinc some carotenoids, and bioflavanoids.

Relevance of antioxidants for elderly? May help lower the incidence of disease, such

as certain cancers, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, DNA damage, or even have anti-aging properties.

Disrupt age-associated deterioration in physiological function, deregulated metabolic processes or prevention of many age-related diseases

DIETARY SOURCES OF ANTIOXIDANTS Dietary sources:

Vitmain C: citrus fruit juices, fruitaides and drinks, and vegetables.

Vitamin E: grains, fat, oil, meat, fish, and poultry Carotenes: vegetables sources, especially in deep-

yellow and dark-green vegetables Flavanoids: tea, citrus fruit juice, beer and ale

• Acai is considered an excellent source of antioxidants. It has considerable potential in nutrition and health applications.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTAKE Vitmain C- 90 mg/day for men and 75

mg/day for women Vitmain E- 15 mg/day for men and

women Selenium- 55 micrograms/day

Upper intake levels for:Vitamins C- 2,000 mg/dayVitamin E- 1,000 mg/daySelenium- 400 micrograms/day

SUPPLEMENT SOURCES OF ANTIOXIDANTS Sources: multivitamins, carotene, selenium,

flavanoids. Supplemental Vitamin C is the U.S’s main

source of vitamin C

BEST SOURCES- PLANT BASED Plant based foods: 1) Berries and berry products2) Beverages 3) Breakfast cereals 4) Fruit and fruit products5) Grain and grain products6) Legumes7) Nuts and seeds8) Spices and herbs9) Vegetable and vegetable products

BEST SOURCES- ANIMAL BASED Animal based foods: 1) Dairy products2) Eggs3) Fish and seafood4) Meat and meat products5) Fish and fish products

ACAI A popular source of antioxidants is from

acai berries. They grow on palm trees in the Brazilian

Rainforest. They contains up to 30 times more

anthocyanins, (the purple-colored antioxidant), than red wine; a blend of amino acids and healthy omega fatty acids to boost immunity; and almost as much calcium as milk.

DISEASES PREVENTION Age-Related Macular Degeneration

What is AMD? is a chronic condition that causes central vision loss. It is a leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older. The older you are, the greater your chance of being

affected. That's why it's important to learn the symptoms of AMD now, so if you ever notice anything wrong, you can see an ophthalmologist right away.

Symptoms: wavy lines, blurriness, blind spots What do Antioxidants do for AMD?

Intakes of nutrients such as antioxidants can reduce the risk of long-term AMD by decreasing the free radical action.

Especially sources of Vitamin E and C which are both antioxidant sources.

DISEASES PREVENTION Diabetes Mellitus

Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the development of diabetes and insulin resistance

Antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress therefore reducing resistance to insulin in diabetes mellitus individuals.

Alpha-Lipoic acid (ALA) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementations, along with a well-balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables containing antioxidants, provide a good approach in the treatment of diabetes associated with oxidative stress.

DISEASES PREVENTION Alzheimer’s Disease

Reduced risk of this disease comes from intake of antioxidant vitamin supplements. multivitamin that contained at least 400 IU of

vitamin E or 500 mg of vitamin C. From : antioxidant vitamins E and C supplements

plus NSAIDs Less cognitive decline in individuals consuming

higher amounts of antioxidants from food sources. Elderly females tend to intake more of these

antioxidants than elderly males according to The Cache County Study

They act on different pathways involved in neurodegeneration, namely oxidative stress and inflammation

DISEASE PREVENTION- ALZHEIMER’STHE CACHE COUNTY STUDY

Studies have shown less cognitive decline and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease in elderly individuals consuming either antioxidant vitamins or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Analyzed data from 3,376 elderly participants of the Cache County Study who were given the Modified Mini-Mental State examination up to three times during a period of 8 years. Those who used a combination of vitamins E and C

supplements and NSAIDs at baseline declined by an average 0.96 fewer points every 3 years than nonuser.

This apparent effect was attributable entirely to participants with the Apolipoprotein E (APOE ε4) allele, whose users declined by 2.25 fewer points than nonusers every 3 years.

These results suggest that among elderly individuals with an APOE ε4 allele, there is an association between using antioxidant supplements in combination with NSAIDs and less cognitive decline over time.

DISEASES PREVENTION Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

Studies have indicated that oxidative stress increases the susceptibility of LDL to lipid peroxidation and vitamin E and/or C supplementation significantly decreases LDL oxidation

In the elderly, a sedentary lifestyle and a nutritional deficiency of antioxidant vitamins are commonly accompanied by increased oxidative damage, declines in antioxidant enzyme activity, and a depletion of the antioxidant reservoir of the organism, for example, vitamins

Excess exercise can lead to enhanced antioxidant depletion and oxidative injury in aged individuals

Daily antioxidant vitamin supplementation or in the form of food help improve cardiovascular health . It helps with lipoprotein metabolism

http://www.amdawareness.org/asrs/?cid=luc_we_F001053_P000517&gclid=CICqkKOYv6wCFRAj7AodxWVYpQ

Tan J, Wang J, Flood V, Rochtchina E, Smith W, Mitchell P. Dietary Antioxidants and the Long-term Incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Blue Mountains Eye Study. Ophthalmology [serial online]. February 2008;115(iss2):334-341. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 17, 2011.

Rufino M, Pérez-Jiménez J, Saura-Calixto F, et al. Açaí (Euterpe oleraceae) ‘BRS Pará’: A tropical fruit source of antioxidant dietary fiber and high antioxidant capacity oil. Food Research International [serial online]. August 2011;44(7):2100-2106. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 17, 2011.

Bennett L, Seefeldt T. The role of antioxidants on oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus. Journal Of Pharmacy Technology [serial online]. September 2010;26(5):293-299. Available from: CINAHL with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 17, 2011.

Obrenovich M, Yi L, Aliev G, et al. Antioxidants in Health, Disease and Aging. CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets [serial online]. March 2011;10(2):192-207. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 17, 2011.

Fotuhi M, Zandi P, Welsh-Bohmer K, et al. Better cognitive performance in elderly taking antioxidant vitamins E and C supplements in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: The Cache County Study. Alzheimer's & Dementia [serial online]. May 2008;4(3):223-227. Available from: PsycINFO, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 17, 2011.

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QUIZ- QUESTION 1 Name one disease that antioxidants

help prevent.

ANSWER 1 Alzheimer’s Disease Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Age-Related Macular Degeneration

(AMD) Diabetes Mellitus

QUESTION 2 What is one the most popular source of

antioxidants?

ANSWER 2 Acai berries

QUESTION 3 True/False: Antioxidants have anti-aging

properties?

ANSWER 3 True

QUESTION 4 Name one plant based food source of

antioxidants

ANSWER 41) Berries and berry products2) Beverages 3) Breakfast cereals 4) Fruit and fruit products5) Grain and grain products6) Legumes7) Nuts and seeds8) Spices and herbs9) Vegetable and vegetable products

QUESTION 5 Antioxidants are used to describe

bioflavanoids, carotenoids, and which two vitamins?

ANSWER 5 Vitamin C and E