Antioxidants Taken In Combination Act Synergistically
The problem with aging isn't really about getting older. The problem is being too short of breath to blow out all those birthday candles as the years mount. With each passing year, an ever-larger assemblage of age-related diseases seems to pursue the aging person. This cast ailments includes chronic infection, cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration, stroke, cataracts, and Alzheimer's disease.
There are only two answers to the question of how this parade of ailments can be slowed down: good genes and healthy living. No one can control the former, but it is possible to have an impact on the latter. Living healthy includes exercise, getting enough relaxation and sleep, and eating nutritious foods. It may also include taking vitamins and other nutrient supplements. An wealth of research data suggests that high intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables and supplements lowers the risk of old-age diseases.
There are only two answers to the question of how this parade of ailments can be slowed down: good genes and healthy living. No one can control the former, but it is possible to have an impact on the latter. Living healthy includes exercise, getting enough relaxation and sleep, and eating nutritious foods. It may also include taking vitamins and other nutrient supplements. An wealth of research data suggests that high intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables and supplements lowers the risk of old-age diseases.
Free Radicals and Antioxidants
Antioxidants are agents that disable havoc-wreaking molecules called free radicals. The body generates free radicals as by-products of burning fuel for energy within the cells, exercising, and fending off infections. Various environmental exposures such as the sun's ultraviolet light, tobacco smoke, pollution, and radiation can also create free radicals.
Take breathing for example. The life-giving oxygen we inhale goes to cells to help burn food for energy. In the process, some oxygen molecules lose an electron. Ideally, oxygen and other molecules keep their electrons in pairs. Molecules containing electron-deficient oxygen are free radicals. These free radicals stabilize themselves by capturing an electron from any substance in their path, damaging it in the process. This process, called oxidative damage, underlies many chronic illnesses.
Oxidation of DNA can cause mutations that lead to cancer. Oxidative damage to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, for example, increases the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. If antioxidants don't mop up free radicals, the damage accumulates and fast-forwards aging and disease. Add in stresses such as air pollution and infection, and the body may not be able to supply enough antioxidants to stop free radical damage.
Take breathing for example. The life-giving oxygen we inhale goes to cells to help burn food for energy. In the process, some oxygen molecules lose an electron. Ideally, oxygen and other molecules keep their electrons in pairs. Molecules containing electron-deficient oxygen are free radicals. These free radicals stabilize themselves by capturing an electron from any substance in their path, damaging it in the process. This process, called oxidative damage, underlies many chronic illnesses.
Oxidation of DNA can cause mutations that lead to cancer. Oxidative damage to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, for example, increases the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. If antioxidants don't mop up free radicals, the damage accumulates and fast-forwards aging and disease. Add in stresses such as air pollution and infection, and the body may not be able to supply enough antioxidants to stop free radical damage.
All the molecules in our cells -- our DNA, our proteins, our lipids, and so on — can only perform their roles correctly if they are in their correct and precise shape. When free radicals attack them, their conformation can change, and they may no longer perform their designated job in the cell.
Facing modern stressors and environmental toxins, many health-conscious consumers understand the value of antioxidant foods and supplements. Protecting the body from damaging free radicals, these substances may play a role in the management or prevention of certain medical issues, and have become a sought-after staple for healthy aging and overall wellness.
Our bodies possess a defense force of free radical quenchers. These native antioxidants come to the rescue by giving up electrons to stabilize free radicals and halt further damage. The body's antioxidants include enzymes, for example, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and small molecules our cells make, such as glutathione, as well as vitamins and minerals manufactured or obtained from the diet. These major players from diet include vitamins C and E, provitamin A -- precursors to vitamin A such as beta-carotene -- and selenium.
As free radical levels rise, so does the need for additional antioxidants. Eventually, free radical production outpaces the body's natural supply of antioxidants. So, the greater the oxidative stress, the more antioxidants a person needs to add to his or her diet. Smokers, for example, must take two to three times as much vitamin C to achieve the same antioxidant blood levels as nonsmokers.
Facing modern stressors and environmental toxins, many health-conscious consumers understand the value of antioxidant foods and supplements. Protecting the body from damaging free radicals, these substances may play a role in the management or prevention of certain medical issues, and have become a sought-after staple for healthy aging and overall wellness.
Our bodies possess a defense force of free radical quenchers. These native antioxidants come to the rescue by giving up electrons to stabilize free radicals and halt further damage. The body's antioxidants include enzymes, for example, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and small molecules our cells make, such as glutathione, as well as vitamins and minerals manufactured or obtained from the diet. These major players from diet include vitamins C and E, provitamin A -- precursors to vitamin A such as beta-carotene -- and selenium.
As free radical levels rise, so does the need for additional antioxidants. Eventually, free radical production outpaces the body's natural supply of antioxidants. So, the greater the oxidative stress, the more antioxidants a person needs to add to his or her diet. Smokers, for example, must take two to three times as much vitamin C to achieve the same antioxidant blood levels as nonsmokers.
Combining Antioxidants
Some antioxidant studies reveal little benefit in taking an antioxidant supplement. One possible reason for this is because antioxidants tend to work best in combination with other nutrients -- especially other antioxidants. Antioxidant studies that focus on supplements containing multiple antioxidants tend to show more positive health results.
For example, a cup of fresh strawberries contains about 80 mg of vitamin C, a nutrient classified as having high antioxidant activity. But a supplement containing 500 mg of vitamin C (600% of the RDA) does not contain the plant chemicals (polyphenols) naturally found in strawberries like proanthocyanins and flavonoids, which also possess antioxidant activity and may team up with vitamin C to fight disease. Polyphenols also have many other chemical properties besides their ability to serve as antioxidants. There is a question if a nutrient with antioxidant activity can cause the opposite effect with pro-oxidant activity if too much is taken. This is why using an antioxidant supplement with a single isolated substance may not be an effective strategy for everyone.
A study from the Antioxidants Research Lab at the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that drinking vitamin C-rich orange juice while eating a bowl of real oatmeal cleans your arteries and prevents heart attacks with two times as much efficacy than if you were to ingest either breakfast staple alone. The reason? The antioxidants in both foods, called phenols, stabilize your LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or so-called "bad" cholesterol) when consumed together.
"Eating a variety of fruit together provides more health benefits than eating one fruit alone," says dietitian Nancy Letterman. "Studies have shown that the antioxidant effects of consuming a combination of fruits are more than additive but synergistic."
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition by Rui Hai Liu, Ph.D., from Cornell University's department of food science, looked at the antioxidant capacity of various fruits individually (apples, oranges, blueberries, grapes) versus the same amount of a mixture of fruits, and found that the mix had a greater antioxidant response. According to the study, this effect explains why "no single antioxidant can replace the combination of natural phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables."
A study from the Antioxidants Research Lab at the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that drinking vitamin C-rich orange juice while eating a bowl of real oatmeal cleans your arteries and prevents heart attacks with two times as much efficacy than if you were to ingest either breakfast staple alone. The reason? The antioxidants in both foods, called phenols, stabilize your LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or so-called "bad" cholesterol) when consumed together.
"Eating a variety of fruit together provides more health benefits than eating one fruit alone," says dietitian Nancy Letterman. "Studies have shown that the antioxidant effects of consuming a combination of fruits are more than additive but synergistic."
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition by Rui Hai Liu, Ph.D., from Cornell University's department of food science, looked at the antioxidant capacity of various fruits individually (apples, oranges, blueberries, grapes) versus the same amount of a mixture of fruits, and found that the mix had a greater antioxidant response. According to the study, this effect explains why "no single antioxidant can replace the combination of natural phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables."
Summary
One of the most common explanations of why we age is "the free radical theory of aging," which proposes that aging is caused by damage that our bodies accumulate throughout our lives, which in turn is caused by free radicals.
Antioxidants are man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Antioxidants are found in many foods, including fruits and vegetables. They are also available as dietary supplements. Examples of antioxidants include lutein, beta-carotene, selenium, lycopene and vitamins A, C and E.
Antioxidants are man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Antioxidants are found in many foods, including fruits and vegetables. They are also available as dietary supplements. Examples of antioxidants include lutein, beta-carotene, selenium, lycopene and vitamins A, C and E.