Most people already know thatantioxidant nutrientsand dietary supplements can benefit your health, but what are antioxidants really? Many may not fully understand how these substances work in the body. According to an article, the word antioxidant is one of the most confusing terms that is not yet clearly defined in the scientific literature. This article takes a deep dive into it and explains what the health benefits and risks are.
What are antioxidants in relation to the diet plan?
Antioxidants are compounds that reduce or inhibit cell damage by neutralizing molecules called free radicals. Free radicals have one or more unpaired electrons in their outer orbit. This makes them unstable and highly reactive. The body produces them through normal endogenous metabolic processes, including energy production. They are also produced in the organism in response to environmental and lifestyle factors such as sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption and more. So, antioxidants inhibit the process called oxidation, which creates free radicals that lead to cell damage. These compounds safely interact with free radicals and neutralize them before they can damage proteins, lipids and DNA. In addition, oxidative stress occurs when there are too many free radicals in the body. This imbalance can occur due to increased production of free radicals or decreased antioxidant defenses. For example, many chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer, have links to progressive free radical damage.
The body also produces metabolic antioxidants through metabolism. These include lipoic acid, glutathione, coenzyme Q10, melatonin, uric acid, L-arginine, bilirubin and transferrin. However, there are some antioxidants that the body cannot produce. This means that they must be taken through food or by taking supplements. Such nutrient antioxidants include carotenoids, antioxidant vitamins including vitamins C and E, selenium, manganese, zinc, flavonoids, and omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Dietary and supplemental antioxidants receive the most attention in the world of nutrition. A diet rich in antioxidants can therefore help strengthen the body's antioxidant defenses.
Food vs. supplements
Dietary supplements typically contain concentrated doses of isolated antioxidants, which may impact health differently than antioxidant-rich foods. Although such supplements are extremely nutritious and important for health, taking a very high dose of antioxidant may not be suitable for everyone. Furthermore, such a supplement can even be harmful for some people. However, the relationship between supplemental antioxidants and disease prevention is less clear. For example, scientists have linked vitamin E supplementation to an increased risk of prostate cancer in healthy men. Similarly, studies link beta-carotene supplementation to oneincreased risk of lung cancer in smokers.
Conversely, research has consistently linked antioxidant-rich diets high in vegetables, fruits, spices and other natural sources of antioxidants to a reduced risk of disease. No associations with adverse health consequences were found. For this reason, nutrition experts recommend consuming antioxidants through natural products. They advise against taking high-dose supplements unless specifically recommended by a healthcare provider.According to this studyAntioxidants are best absorbed through foods and drinks such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, spices and tea.
