Antioxidants: Myth, Miracle or Mystery?
By Steve Kurtz, Cardinal Village, Akron LIVING WELL Magazine
With each visit to the supermarket or pharmacy, there appears to be a growing number of products claiming to be a major source for antioxidants. We’re told of the many potential benefits of antioxidants including mental enhancement, disease prevention and even longevity, but just how much do we really know about this super nutrient?
What is an antioxidant?
Antioxidants are molecules that help to balance the negative effects of a naturally occurring process in animal tissue known as oxidation. Oxidation produces free radicals, molecular fragments that can mutate or cause damage to cells and are linked to heart disease and cancer. While free radicals are both natural and essential for our existence, they can become harmful when too many are created through the natural aging process and by external pollutants.
There are many different kinds of antioxidants that protect our blood and cells. Vitamins are some of the more familiar types, but each type interacts in a different way and in different areas. Many of these interactions occur naturally in the body, while others are obtained from our diet. The theory surrounding the benefits of antioxidants is that by adding more to our bodies through our diet, we are able to greater defend the damage by ever-increasing free radicals.
What do studies tell us?
Contrary to popular belief, clinical studies have been unable to link the consumption of antioxidants to most of the benefits we read and hear about. Initially, studies of antioxidant supplements led to the idea that they could promote health, but larger clinical trials later failed at linking health benefits to supplements and even concluded that higher doses may even be harmful. In terms of disease prevention, we know that diets high in fruits and vegetables lead to a lower risk of heart disease and may help protect against some forms of cancer. Since many fruits and vegetables are good sources of antioxidants, the belief is that the antioxidants alone help to fight off disease. The studies indicate this is not the case, but rather a different or more complex interaction of ingredients is responsible. One positive experimental study from 2001, which may emphasize this, showed a significant reduction in age-related macular degeneration in subjects given high doses of a combination of some familiar antioxidants including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper.
Due to earlier studies and beliefs, food manufacturers have developed and marketed vitamin supplements and tweaked marketing strategies to take advantage of the perceived health benefits of antioxidants. Unfortunately, there still exists a great deal of conflicting claims and opinions about this subject among food companies and the larger drug manufacturers.
Conclusion
While the hype over the benefits of antioxidants may not be justifiable, we know that the foods that are high in their content are healthy for our bodies. It may be that the other nutrients in these foods work in conjunction with antioxidants to produce these benefits. This suggests that supplements alone may not be the answer to improving or maintaining health and may even lead to adverse effects. When considering beneficial foods to include within your diet, keep these tips in mind:
Variety is better than quantity –– There are nearly 8,000 different antioxidants. By combining
different kinds of foods, we create a dynamic defense system to fight free radicals.
Avoid supplements –– Focus on ingredients more than individual vitamins. Choosing foods made from natural foods, fruits and vegetables will provide you with all the antioxidants you need.
Focus on lower calorie foods –– According to studies, lower calorie diets may involve a reduction in oxidative stress and reduced development of free radicals. Black and green teas are loaded with antioxidants without the calories.
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Steve Kurtz is with Cardinal Retirement Village and developed the Active Lifestyles Program for senior residents. For inquiries, contact Elizabeth Applegate, executive director at Cardinal Retirement Village, 171 Graham Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223, 330-928-7888.
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Sources:
The Journal of the American Medical Association; 2005
http://MensHealth.com; 2011
http://Health.howstuffworks.com; 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org; 2011
http://en.wikinoticia.com/lifestyle/beauty; 2010
