{"id":183,"date":"2019-10-07T20:58:02","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T15:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/?p=183"},"modified":"2019-10-07T20:58:02","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T15:28:02","slug":"antioxidants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/antioxidants\/","title":{"rendered":"Antioxidants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Antioxidants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An antioxidant can be defined as a molecule that has the capability to inhibit the oxidation of another molecule and thereby reduces the free radical damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sources and origin\nof antioxidants: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in other\nfoods including nuts, grains, and some meats, poultry, and fish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beta-carotene \u00e0 foods that are orange in color, including sweet potatoes, carrots,\napricots, pumpkin, and mangoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some green, leafy vegetables, including collard greens, and spinach are\nalso rich in betacarotene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lycopene \u00e0a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya,\napricots, pink grapefruit, blood oranges, and other foods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estimates suggest 85% of American dietary intake of lycopene comes from\ntomatoes and tomato products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selenium is a mineral, not an antioxidant nutrient. However, it is a\ncomponent of antioxidant enzymes. Plant foods like rice and wheat are the major\ndietary sources of selenium in most countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vitamin A is found in three main forms: retinol (Vitamin A1),\n3,4-didehydroretinol (Vitamin A2), and 3-hydroxyretinol (Vitamin A3). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foods rich in vitamin A include liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk,\negg yolks, and mozzarella cheese. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid \u00e0 fruits and\nvegetables and is also found in cereals, beef, poultry, and fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classification: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enzymatic\nAntioxidants:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Common Enzymatic Antioxidants<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n  <\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Some Possible Specific Benefits or Problems<\/strong>\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n Superoxide\n dismutase (SOD)\n <\/td>\n breakdown\n of superoxide anion, resulting in oxygen and hydrogen peroxide\n <\/td> Gene mutation encoding copper-zinc SOD associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. <\/td><\/tr>
Catalase<\/td>breakdown of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. <\/td>When infections arise, the body produces more hydrogen peroxide to help fight pathogens and heal wounds. Once the hydrogen peroxide is no longer needed, catalase breaks it down into safe compounds <\/td><\/tr>
\n Glutathione\n peroxidase (part of the glutathione system)\n <\/td> breakdown of hydrogen peroxide and various hydroperoxides. \u00a0 <\/td>\n The\n primary function of glutathione peroxidase is to counteract the oxidative\n attack\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Non-enzymatic\nAntioxidants: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • vitamin C which can only be obtained through\nthe diet as it cannot be synthesized in humans <\/li>
  • Other non-enzymatic antioxidants include uric\nacid which accounts for almost one half the antioxidant capability of plasma,\ntocopherols which are known as vitamin E, melatonin, and glutathione.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Table 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Common Antioxidant Dietary Supplements.<\/strong> <\/td>\n Some Possible Specific Benefits or Problems<\/strong>\n <\/td><\/tr>
    Vitamin E Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) Selenium Zinc<\/td>vitamin E supplementation causes a reduction in heart disease risk. All three of the major dietary antioxidants \u2014 vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids \u2014 have been associated with decreased cataract risk. <\/td><\/tr>
    Carotenoids Beta carotene <\/td>High intake of beta carotene combined with vitamins C\/E and zinc has been associated with decreased acute macular degeneration in the elderly. <\/td><\/tr>
    Resveratrol <\/td>Associated with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and hypotriglyceridemic effects <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Clinical\nSignificance of Antioxidants:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Atherosclerosis\nand Cardiovascular Diseases:<\/strong> <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) \u00e0 contribute to atherosclerosis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Vitamin E has been shown to have scavenging activity at the cellular level. In Cambridge Heart Institute Study (CHAOS), a randomized control trial of vitamin E in patients with known coronary artery disease showed vitamin E reduced the rate of non-fatal MI in patients with coronary artery disease. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      • Neurodegenerative\nDiseases:<\/strong> <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington\u2019s chorea, and\nParkinson\u2019s disease which seem to be increasing with an aging population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Oxidative stress and free radicals play a significant role in the\npathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Clinical\ntrials with vitamins C, E, and beta carotene showed inconclusive results<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        There is actually a proposed\ntheory that free radicals are associated with aging<\/strong> and that lifespans\nmight be extended by supplementation with antioxidants although research is\nneeded to substantiate such a proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        • Selenium\nderivatives as cancer preventive agents<\/strong>: <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          The role of selenium in the prevention of cancer has been recently\nestablished by laboratory experiments, clinical trials, and epidemiological\ndata.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Selenium supplementation has shown effective in the clinical\ndomain of cancer chemoprevention and in the control of heart failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          • Lycopene\nas a potential anti-cancer agent:<\/strong> <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Tomato and products are recognized to confer a wide range of\nhealth benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Epidemiology studies have provided evidence that high consumption of tomatoes effectively\nlowers the risk of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated diseases such as\ncardiovascular diseases and cancer<\/strong> by improving the antioxidant carotenoid\nreported to be more stable and potent singlet oxygen quenching agent compared\nto other carotenoids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            In addition to its anti-oxidant properties, lycopene \u00e0 cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory,\nanti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic activities. The cancer activities of\nlycopene have been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo tumor models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            • Genetic\ndisorder: <\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              Antioxidants are very important in the treatment of Friedreich ataxia<\/strong>, a rare progressive condition that\ncauses damage to the nervous system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              • Inflammatory\ndisorders:<\/strong> <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                Free radicals and oxidative stress may play a role in inflammatory\ndiseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Rheumatoid\narthritis<\/strong> is one example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                The products of free\nradical reactions have been detected in the blood and joints of patients with\nthis disease.<\/strong> Other lines of evidence also suggest the involvement of\noxidative stress in rheumatoid arthritis and in other inflammatory diseases\nsuch as glomerulonephritis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                The use of antioxidants may useful in the prevention of these\ndiseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                The implication of oxidative stress in\nthe aetiology of several chronic and degenerative diseases suggests that\nantioxidant therapy represents a promising avenue for treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                In the future, a therapeutic strategy\nto increase the antioxidant capacity of cells may be used to fortify the long-term\neffective treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                However, many questions about\nantioxidant supplements in disease prevention remain unsolved. Further research\nis needed before this supplementation could be officially recommended as adjuvant\ntherapy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                In the meantime, it is reminded that\navoiding oxidant sources (cigarettes, alcohol, bad food, stress, etc) must be\nconsidered as important as taking a diet rich in antioxidants. Indeed, our\nhealth also depends on our lifestyle choice. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Antioxidants An antioxidant can be defined as a molecule that has the capability to inhibit the oxidation of another molecule and thereby reduces the free radical damage. Sources and origin of antioxidants: Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in other foods including nuts, grains, and some meats, poultry, and fish. Beta-carotene[…]\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicineplexus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}