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Antioxidants: Combating Aging and Disease
Article by Sylvia Riley
Copyright 2006 Sylvia Riley
Wouldn’t we all like to age gracefully (if at all for that matter!) and ward off the wrinkly signs and ill symptoms for as long as possible. Keys to longevity may be more accessible than we think, and it appears our diets play a critical role. Antioxidants are the knights in shining armor that subjugate the attack of free radicals in the body, the hazardous molecules that damage cells and procure aging and disease. Though antioxidants are produced naturally in the body, these decline with age, hence an increasing need to acquire them from the foods in our diet.
Before examining antioxidants more closely, it is important to take a look at the free radicals they serve to neutralize.
Free Radicals
Free radicals are created as by-products in our use of oxygen during metabolism such as the burning of food for energy. They are essentially oxidant molecules that are missing an electron and seek to restore themselves by targeting nearby cells in an attempt to recover this electron, potentially harming enzymes, DNA, proteins and cell membranes in the process. This damage can mutate cells and alter cell function, increasing the risk of numerous diseases and chronic conditions including arthritis, diabetes, cataracts, cancer, heart disease and stroke. Free radical damage is implicated in the onset of aging and its degenerative symptoms and diseases.
As well as generated within the body, free radicals come from environmental sources such as pollution, radiation, unhealthy foods, bacteria, viruses, cigarette smoke and UV light.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants serve to mitigate the harmful effect of free radicals by giving up an electron and stabilizing them in the process. Although we produce many of our own antioxidants within the body, food provides an essential source for these key players of our defense system. Vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients all have antioxidant properties. The most common examples include vitamins A, C and E, selenium and zinc, carotenoids, flavonoids, co-enzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid and glutathione.
As there are many different types of free radicals in the body a variety of antioxidants are required to protect against them. Antioxidants function best as a team, with each other and other nutrients and phytochemicals, which is why incorporating a wide range of plant foods into your diet is recommended. Phytochemical groups such as flavonoids and carotenoids correspond to the colour, taste and smell attributes of plants, hence eating a rainbow array of vegetables and fruits can offer a diverse selection of these potent antioxidants.
Antioxidant Rich Foods
Foods especially high in antioxidants include berries, plums, pomegranates, oranges, spinach, green tea, avocado, kale, broccoli, peas, onions, grapes and pure chocolate.
Scientists at the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) have developed a rating scale that measures the total antioxidant capacity of a given food. This is known as the ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity).
Of 40 common fruits and vegetables measured by the USDA, top ranking scores were those of prunes(5770), raisins (2830), blueberries (2400 – highest of all fresh foods with other berries close behind), kale (1770), spinach (1260), Brussels sprouts (980), plums (949), alfalfa sprouts (930), broccoli florets (890), beetroots (840), oranges (750 ), red peppers (710 ) and red grapes (739).
Pure cocoa surpasses all these foods with a whopping score of 26,00 units, more than 10 times the prestigious blueberry (though one is likely to eat far less in quantity). The extraordinary goji berry from Tibet also has outstanding antioxidant capacity with a score of 18,500 units; hardly surprising as they contain 500 times more vitamin C than oranges and even more beta-carotene than carrots!
According to studies on animals and human blood at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts in Boston, high-ORAC foods may slow aging processes in the body and brain. Results found that high ORAC foods such as blueberries and spinach could increase the antioxidant power of human blood by 10-25%, prevent loss of long-term memory and learning ability in middle-aged rats, and protect rat blood vessels against oxygen damage.
Antioxidants and Aging
As we age, free radical levels rise and yet the body falls short in producing necessary amounts of antioxidants to meet this challenge. For example, cells generate more of the oxidants hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, yet levels of the necessary antioxidant glutathione required to neutralise these decline. The Free Radical Theory of Aging, first proposed by Harman in 1954, is supported by cross-species examination of animals with regard to life span, free radical damage and antioxidant defence. For example, the white-footed mouse lives about twice as long as the house mouse (8 versus 4 years), and is found to generate less oxidants and have higher levels of antioxidants. As Beckman and Ames write in The Free Radical Theory of Ageing Matures (1998), ‘Together, interspecies comparisons of oxidative damage, antioxidant defences, and oxidant generation provide some of the most compelling evidence that oxidants are one of the most significant determinants of life span.’
Very recent evidence comes from a study on dogs at the University of Toronto by Dr. Dwight Tapp and colleagues who found that ‘old dogs that were on an antioxidant diet performed better on a variety of cognitive tests than dogs that were not on the diet. In fact, the dogs eating antioxidant-fortified foods performed as well as young animals’.
Additional research by Dr. Rabinovitch and his team, studying aging at the University of Washington, Seattle, found that mice engineered to produce high levels of an antioxidant enzyme (catalase) lived 20 per cent longer and had less heart and other age-related diseases than controls.
In light of the role free radicals play in the onset of aging and disease, it is important to ensure our diets include a rich and diverse supply of antioxidants. These protective agents can be found abundantly in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and are particularly high in superfoods.
The Benefits Of Antioxidants
Antioxidants have the ability to protect the human body from oxidation caused by free radicals that interfere with DNA, challenge the immune system and accelerate aging, often resulting in serious health problems such as heart failure and cancer.
In the human body, free radicals are created naturally as a result of many metabolic processes that use oxygen. When these oxygen molecules (O2) become radicalized out of regular cellular functions in the human system, they try to steal electrons from other molecules to regain stability. Antioxidants wipe out these free radicals and remove them before they cause any serious damage to human cells and body tissues.
Antioxidants are contained in foods as minerals, vitamins, polyphenols, isoflavones, flavenoids, carotenoids, organosulphurs and phytochemicals. Some of them are identified in food by their characteristic colours such as the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn; the red of tomatoes.
The more antioxidants are used in a diet, the better we feel and look. Poor diets are often associated to health problems, so including good antioxidants in our daily diet can ensure personal health. Dietary antioxidants are naturally contained in a broad variety of fruits and vegetables, meats and animal products, nuts, grains, as well as certain types of cereals.
In recent years, antioxidant vitamins have been identified as vital to good health for their great interaction with other molecules in the body and their beneficial effects. Antioxidant vitamins protect the human system against cardiovascular diseases, cancer, vision problems, infections, nervous disorders and some of the physical effects of aging.
Typically, antioxidant vitamins include vitamins A, C, and E, which are combined with other antioxidant nutrients to supply a full range of protection.
In particular:
- Vitamin A is a fat-soluble antioxidant that plays a critical role in vision, cell division, reproduction and bone growth. Vitamin A regulates the immune system and prevents infections by bacteria and viruses. It also promotes the health of the respiratory, urinary and intestinal system and helps the skin.
Vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, cantaloupe, kale, squash, watercress, collards, mangoes, apricots, peaches, liver, carrots, milk, egg yolks, butter, margarine, fresh cream, and mozzarella cheese.
- Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that plays a significant role in the synthesis of connective tissues, particularly collagen, which is a key structural component of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone. In addition, vitamin C strengthens immunity, helps with iron absorption, and participates in the release of stress hormones.
Vitamin C is contained in a great variety of fruits and vegetables but also in cereals, beef, poultry and fish. In particular, foods that are high in Vitamin C are oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, limes, pineapple, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, kiwi, watermelon, papaya, broccoli, mustard greens, cauliflower, cantaloupe, cabbage, spinach, sweet red bell peppers, tomatoes, parsley, and celery.
- Vitamin E is, in fact, a family of eight antioxidants that prevent harm to cell membranes, and block oxidation of fats, particularly in the lungs where oxygen is present in abundant amounts. Vitamin E protects against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, cataracts, age related macular degeneration, and Parkinson’s.
Vitamin E (also called alpha-tocopherol) is found in almonds, nuts, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower, seeds, wheat germ, mangoes, broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes.
Among the recommended benefits of antioxidants are the following:
1. Protection against cancer
Oxidative damage is caused to our body from free radicals, but also as a result of exposure to pollution, ultraviolet radiation, sunlight, alcohol consumption and smoking. Antioxidants search for free radicals, neutralize them and turn them into waste in order to cancerous cells and/or repair previous damage to cells. The foods that contain extremely high levels of antioxidants are dried red beans, pinto beans, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries and apples.
Protection of the central nervous system that slows down aging
Antioxidants are widely recognized as health-promoting agents that prevent aging by reaching for free radicals and neutralize them from causing age related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Fruits and vegetables that are rich in Omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids and glutathione are beets, broccoli, carrots, spinach, red peppers, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, oranges, peaches, apricots, grapefruits, red grapes, berries, plums, and papaya.
3. Protection against heart diseases
The addition of oxygen to “bad” cholesterol (LDL) contributes to the development of fatty plaque on the artery walls, which eventually can result in blocking blood flow to the heart. A number of common minerals such as selenium, copper, zinc, and manganese are antioxidants that serve as cofactors for enzymes with antioxidant activity. Others work in work-soluble areas of the human body like Vitamin C and others in the fat-soluble areas of the body like Vitamins A, E and Co-Q-10.
4. Protection of the immune system
The role of antioxidants in keeping our immune system strong is vital. Particularly, selenium is known for inhibiting or preventing the development of free radicals thus protecting normal cell function and supporting the body’s natural defences. Antioxidants protect our immune system from experiencing fatigue, inflammations, allergies, repeated infections, chronic diarrhoeas and others. However, to obtain a strong immune system we need to include a wide range of different healthy foods in our diet, rather than concentrating on high doses of specific antioxidants.
In effect, antioxidants keep a balance in our body. Adopting a well-balanced diet, rich in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is a practical way to get the full benefit of antioxidants. 2-4 servings of fruits or 3-5 servings of vegetables combined with a healthy lifestyle can improve our daily antioxidant intake naturally without vitamin supplements. Natural food is always the best choice.
Learn About Antioxidants
Article by Jim Riggs
It is a commonly known fact that plant foods like fruits and vegetables, and whole grains include many components that are beneficial to the human body and overall good health. One of the most common components found in these specific food groups are antioxidants. Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds that are found throughout nature that neutralize damaging agents called free radicals. Antioxidants are also highly recognized for their many other benefits including improving and maintaining health as well as treatment and prevention of several medical conditions, anti-aging properties, and defense against free radical damage and future prevention. Think of antioxidants as your bodies own military defense system set in place to defend against any foreign and enemy radicals.
People use antioxidants to help treat and cope with many things especially numerous medical conditions. Some of those conditions include coronary artery disease, some cancers, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s and some arthritis ailments. This is why supplementation of antioxidants is so beneficial to helping improve and maintain overall good health. Many health care specialists claim that the elderly, especially those with a reduced food intake, heavy drinkers, frequent aspirin users, smokers and individuals with immune issues benefit greatly by taking daily antioxidant supplements. There is research being done to prove that higher levels of antioxidants may aid in preventing certain life threatening disease such as cancer. Alongside their many health and nutritional benefits, they improve your immune system functions and lower your risk of infection.
Oxidation or the loss of an electron often produces reactive substances known as free radicals, which cause oxidative stress and damage to your cells. Free radicals can be produced when your body breaks down food, or because of environmental exposures to things such as radiation, ultraviolet rays and tobacco smoke. Antioxidants are naturally capable of stabilizing free radicals before they react and cause damage and harm to your body. Because oxidation is a natural process within your body, it is pertinent that you keep a healthy balance of antioxidants to counteract the effects of free radicals to maintain good health. Radicals are also involved with an increase in many degenerative diseases such as:
Cancer Cardiovascular DiseaseCognitive ImpairmentAlzheimer’sImmune DysfunctionCataractsSome other conditions like chronic diseases can also contribute to ill effects on one’s health. Free radicals are also the components to blame for skin damage and cancer to the early on-set of physical signs of aging. Think of antioxidants as nutrient scavengers on the hunt for cell damaging free radicals throughout your body, with a mission to detoxify and banish them and offset or neutralize the negative effects they have on your body.
While it is true that your body has its own defenses against oxidative stress, these defenses become less effective against free radicals as you begin to age and oxidative stress becomes greater. Research has suggested over the years that lack of antioxidant supplementation has helped aid free radical damage resulting in many degenerative diseases associated with aging. As well as an increase in many ailments, lack of antioxidants in the human body causes free radical damage to heighten and cause many negative physical changes to the skin, hair and nails. Antioxidants have plenty of studies and research done about them providing proof of their benefits. For instance, antioxidants such as vitamins C, E and Beta-Carotene have been shown to neutralize free radicals that can cause damage at the cellular level. Antioxidants can help so many with the aging process. Just by adding fruits and veggies or an antioxidant supplement alone to your diet will assist to improve your overall health.
Antioxidants are highly beneficial to those who supplement them into their diets. You can find antioxidants in many foods including:
Fruits like acai, cherries, and many kinds of berriesVegetables such as carrots and tomatoes as well as green super foodsMost Dark ChocolateWalnutsArtichoke HeartsGreen and Black TeasThe most available sources of anti-oxidants are found in antioxidant supplements. By supplementing antioxidants, your body will also be provided with many necessary vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients that some food sources cannot. By using an antioxidant supplement, no matter your age, your body will benefit from the many natural and positive benefits they have to offer. For instance, antioxidants are noted for controlling the amount of free radicals in your body and reducing the chances of cancer and heart related diseases later on in life.
For many years it appeared that anti-oxidants were practically the cure and answer for continued good health. Current studies have shown that the benefits provided by antioxidants though have many more complex positive effects on top of the answer to continued health. Research will continue to poor in and grow in regards to antioxidants and human health for many years to come. For now, we at least know that the consumption of antioxidants helps provide protection against oxidative damage and contribute to many positive health benefits in those who incorporate them into their diet thru food source or supplement. Being exposed to radicals is unavoidable, this is why including antioxidants into your diet is so beneficial. When it comes down to antioxidants, their properties and all of the positive effects they have on people, the question shouldn’t be whether or not they work, but why aren’t you taking them?
How antioxidants and free radicals work.
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