Antioxidants vs Free Radicals

Antioxidants, Free Radicals, Vitamins C, E and Beta-Carotene:

We have heard the claims that antioxidants can ward off chronic diseases, preserve good vision, cure arthritis, and perform other miracles. The main antioxidants in foods are vitamins C, E; carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, and similar plant compounds, including ones the body itself manufacturers—chiefly enzymes, which can destroy harmful products of metabolism.

The question is: Do these supplements deserve such popularity? Three new review articles have questioned the benefits of these pills, but a new study from John Hopkins has even suggested that vitamin E supplements may actually be harmful. If you are taking these supplements, should you stop?

An antioxidant "quenches" free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules—missing one or more electrons—that are created continuously in the body during the normal process of "burning" food for energy so that cells can function. Other factors—pollution, smoking, sunshine, even exercise—also create free radicals. Because electrons prefer to exist in pairs, free radicals will "steal" electrons from other molecules in cells, leaving new unpaired electrons in their wake. Healthy cells usually are able to repair this damage, but, over time, the process can wear them down and harm proteins, cell membranes, and genetic material. It’s thought that free radical damage is at the roof of aging and such chronic diseases as coronary heart disease and cancer.

Roger S. Blumenthal, M.D. Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, explains that the research on antioxidant supplements suggests that if you’re taking them to prevent heart disease, you’re probably wasting your money. Three review articles found no benefit from antioxidant supplements.

Another review, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that vitamin E supplements did not prevent cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. A third article, in The Lancet, addressed cancer risk. Data on more than 170,000 people revealed that beta-carotene and vitamin A, C, and E supplements—taken alone or in combination—did not reduce the risk of many cancers, including esophageal, colon, pancreatic, and liver cancer.

Furthermore, there’s the lurking possibility of harm. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins found that vitamin E supplements in dosages of 200 IU or greater raise the risk of death, and the risk was especially great in people taking more than 400 IU of vitamin E daily. It is important to note that it is impossible to consume this much vitamin E from food alone. The typical American diet supplies just 6 to 10 IU daily; the recommended daily allowance for vitamin E is about 22 IU daily.

To help your body fight aging and disease caused by free radicals, your best bet is to eat a Nutrition-Based-Regimen rich in fruits, vegetables (especially leafy greens), whole grains and nuts in moderate amounts. Use plant derived oils for cooking and salads. Include some lean meats and low-fat dairy products. A healthy eating regimen should be your chief source of vitamins, minerals, and other life-giving nutrients.