1. Antioxidants Are Present in Certain Foods
Antioxidants are vitamins, phytochemicals and minerals that are naturally found in certain foods. Vitamins C and E are two well-known antioxidants, as are beta-carotene and lycopene. Nutritionists will often recommend "eating a rainbow" of foods, because antioxidants are found in brightly colored or dark green vegetables and fruits, such as bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes and spinach. It is believed to be more beneficial to get antioxidants from your food than from supplements.
2. Antioxidants May Prevent Cell Damage and Cancer
Research implicates excess free radicals--destructive oxygen molecules--in a number of diseases, including cancer. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, and result from such hazards as cigarette smoke, alcohol, x-rays and ultra-violet light. Antioxidants help combat damage to cells from free radicals by neutralizing them, limiting their formation and destroying them. A number of studies show antioxidants can reduce cancer risk in this way. Antioxidants may also slow the development of cancer and boost the immune system.
3. More Research Needed
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, which has funded numerous studies on the cancer fighting benefits of antioxidants, there is "substantial evidence that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the development of cancer." However, there is no definite research that shows antioxidants combat cancer. Most experts agree that there are no clear answers for cancer protection and more research is needed. According to the National Cancer Institute, five large-scale clinical trials in the 1990s were inconclusive about the effect of antioxidants on cancer.
4. No One Magic Antioxidant
Free radicals can also lead to cardiovascular disease, eye damage, age-related degeneration and weakened immune systems. Antioxidants can help combat these things, but don't count on one in particular to help. Whenever research indicates a certain food, such as blueberries, is high in antioxidants, people often add lots of this food to their diet. It's better to eat a varied diet with different foods known to have antioxidants. There is no one antioxidant that has been shown to be most beneficial. Researchers have noted that individual antioxidants often show no effect on cancer, but cancer protection is seen in people who eat a plant-based diet with plenty of different phytochemicals.
5. More Is Not Necessarily Better
When it comes to antioxidants, you can have too much of a good thing. Some studies in the 1990s actually showed an increase in certain cancers with the use of antioxidants, such as lung cancer in smokers who took high doses of beta-carotene. Vitamin E, for example, taken in high doses, may cause bleeding when taken with blood thinning medications. Selenium supplements can be toxic at high doses, and too much vitamin C can lead to kidney stones. When antioxidants are obtained through supplements, you need to be careful.
Member Comments