We often hear the word antioxidants in the health press, but what are they, and why should we make sure we get them?
Sadly, humans can't easily be put under the microscope to prove that antioxidants make us live longer, but take a look at anyone who has been supplementing with a good antioxidant supplement programme for a number of years and you will notice a difference. Look at the skin on their face, their level of alertness, how they compare with people of the same age.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are the substances that protect our cell membranes from damage by free radicals or from oxidation. Oxidation is literally burning or rusting When anything is exposed to oxygen without protection it will begin to age. Just like an old tyre, the skin and tissues of a body that has not been protected from oxidation will eventually begin to sag and lose elasticity. Understanding antioxidants and how to use them is the first step in slowing down that ageing process and keeping your body as young and healthy as possible.
The best known antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E, Beta Carotene. Certain antioxidants are dependent on the trace minerals zinc, selenium, manganese and copper, so these minerals also have anitoxidant status. Other less well-known antioxidants include the bioflavonoids, anthocyanidins, tannins and sulphur-containing compounds. Even MSM has antioxidant properties. The most powerful known natural antioxidant used by the body is Co-enzyme Q1O.
What are Free Radicals?
Free radicals are simply molecules with a negative charge that run riot throug hout the body if not quickly zapped by an antioxidant. Potentially, they can cause irreparable damage to cell membranes and cell structures, including our DNA, the genetic blueprint needed to reproduce each cell accurately.
We are being hit all the time by free radicals from outside sources such as cigarette smoke, pollutants, cosmic and man-made radiation and even sunlight. Free radical molecules are also the end product of the bodyÕs normal metabolism. We may even produce free radicals just by breathing.
The good news is that the body does have an inbuilt antioxidant defence system, and effectively uses the antioxidants from the food we eat. The not so good news is that often the antioxidant status of the body does not fully meet our need for protection from the world in which we live.
The need for protection
Not having enoug h antioxidant protection can come from many factors, including a diet lacking in fruit and vegetables and other antioxidant-rich foods and beverages. The food we eat supplies all the molecules of the body, so it always makes sense to eat a healthy diet. But even when we eat healthily, the body may still be overwhelmed by free radicals. Smoking, living in smoky or polluted environments, eating fried or burnt food, being exposed to chemicals in our environment, experiencing prolonged stress or even by having too much sun, exposes us to too much free radical risk.
Then our natural army of antioxidants fails to cope with the continuous onslaug ht of free radicals and the unfortunate consequences may eventually be the development of cataracts, arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure or even cancer. These degenerative conditions can be caused by damaged cell membranes and other damaged structures within the cells, all of which are vital for carrying out the normal healthy functions of the body.
The most noticeable sign of reduced antioxidant protection is premature ageing. We see lines and wrinkles in the mirror, and sagging or blemished skin. We also feel our body ageing as our joints stiffen and our range of movement is reduced.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is water-soluble and helps protect the water-soluble elements of our tissues, while vitamin E protects the fat-soluble elements. lt works in partnership with vitamin E helping to extend its antioxidant power. Almost all animals make their own vitamin C but we lost the ability back in the jungle when, like today's gorillas, we probably consumed up to 4000mg of the vitamin in our diet. To obtain that amount from food now we would have to eat more than 80 oranges a day. lt is possible that infections, heart and circulatory diseases, cancer, arthritis and premature ageing could largely be prevented if we were able to regulate our vitamin C levels internally. Numerous studies have clearly shown its ability to help lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol, as well as reduce risk of developing chronic disease, such as heart disease and lung cancer in smokers.
Smoking and drinking both deplete our body's stores of this vitamin. Smokers have an average 25% less vitamin C in their blood than non-smokers. Taking 1000mg of vitamin C a day has been shown to lower blood pressure, and researchers including Nobel prize winner, Linus Pauling, believe that C in combination with the amino acid lysine can help strip out the arteries of plaque (atherosclerosis).
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is the major lipid, or fat-soluble antioxidant in the body, and is the antioxidant that comes to the rescue when a free radical attacks the fatty acids in the cell's lining. Vitamin E is an important protector for the heart and circulation. In a study at Cambridge University of men with coronary plaque, vitamin E was shown to significantly reduce the risk of a subsequent heart attack. Vitamin E's antioxidant capacity increases with selenium. In a Finnish study of 12000 people those in the top third of E and selenium levels had 91% less risk of cancer. in another study, those who had taken 200iu of E a day over 10 years had 57% less chance of getting colon cancer. Vitamin E is also an important vitamin for the skin, taken internally and in skin creams. People consuming 400iu of E a day were found to halve their risk of getting cataracts.
Vitamin A / BetaCarotene
These are both powerful antioxidants, but because vitamin A can accumulate in the liver it is often better to take beta carotene and let the body convert it to vitamin A as it is needed. Low levels of vitamin A are found in people with lung cancer, and having a low level of A doubles the risk of getting the disease. Alzheimer's sufferers have been found to have half the blood levels of beta carotene and vitamin E compared to non-sufferers, and those with high intakes of beta carotene were found to have half the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Selenium & Zinc
These are used by the body to make one of its key antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase, which helps protect us against car exhaust fumes, carcinogens, infections, too much alcohol and toxic metals. Selenium has a cancer protective role also. It also protects against joint degeneration. The level of selenium is low in the soil in many parts of Britain. Areas where the soil is rich in selenium, such as Norfolk, have a reputation for longer-lived inhabitants. Zinc, in addition to its many functions in the body is needed to make the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase
Co-Enzyme Q10
This co-enzyme is the most powerful natural antioxidant used by the body. it helps protect us from carcinogens and it also helps to recycle vitamin E. its specific importance is in improving our cells use of oxygen. Coenzyme Q10 is involved in a chemical process that eventually releases energy from the body's cells, hence the reason why it is a useful supplement to 'lift' flagging energy levels - even in serious cases of chronic fatigue and ME.
Co-Q1O protects the arteries from damage reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. in a study of 61 patients who had already had a heart attack, of those given Co-Q1O and selenium for a year, only one died (from non-cardiac causes). Of those given dummy pills, six died of heart attacks. Co-Q1O is also very helpful for people with congestive heart failure.
There is evidence that Co-Q1O is lower in people with cancer. in a Danish study women with breast cancer showed partial remission when given Co-Q1O and other antioxi-dants. Althoug h the body can make its own Co-Q10 from food, this ability reduces or ceases as we age.
Multiple antioxidants?Antioxidants work in partnership with each other, so it always makes sense to take a multiple antioxidant formula in addition to individual antioxidants. Antioxidant Protection with glutathione (a powerful antioxidant made by the body), vitamin E, co-enzyme Q10 and lipoic acid (another natural antioxidant which has the power to draw on the cellÕs own ability to protect and increases the effectiveness of other antioxidants are all found in multiple formulas.
Finally, don't forget food...
Cat's Claw tea is a delicious and powerful deep orange drink with a very high level of beta carotene in addition to its many other benefits. Other colourful herbs, fruits and vegetables such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, grapes, tomatoes, carrots, peppers etc. contain a 'ratatouille' of natural antioxidants including carotenoids (e.g. beta carotene, lycopene & lutein), pro-anthocyanidins (e.g. grape seed extract & pine bark extract flavonoids found in apples, as well as tea and wine, It is the actual colour pigments in these foods that carry the antioxidant properties. That makes it easier to remember to eat whatever shines out brightly on your plate.
Your antioxidant shoping list
The following foods are extremely useful ingredients within any balanced and well regulated diet. They also offer an exceptional source of antioxidants so place them on your shopping list today...
Yams and sweet potatoes
Butternut squash
Pumpkin
Carrots
Spinach
Broccoli
Iceberg lettuce
Endive or Chicory
Kale. Kolrabi and savoy cabbage
Tomatoes
Cantaloupe Melons
Apricots
Mango
Citrus fruits and red berry fruits like grapes and black Currants
Cherries
Lemons
Tuna and sardines
Unsweetened Orange Juice
Eggs
Wheat germ
Organ meats like kidney and liver
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts and peanuts (unsalted)
Brazils, pecans, almonds and hazelnuts
Soy and soybeans |
