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.

Sugar Is A Major Cause Of Obesity

If you can stay away from the sugar we find in ice cream, cookies, beverages and even in yogurt, bread and tomato sauce you will begin to win the battle of the bulge. Most Americans consumed an average of 120 pounds of sugar 30 years ago. In 1995 we were consuming sugar at the rate of 150 pound a year. I remember as a young man going to the A&P for my mother and purchasing 5 lb. bags of sugar. Then, with WWII, I remember dad telling us that we would not be able to get sugar. In many ways that was a blessing.

In the latter half of the 1960s a new form of sugar began to find its way into many of our food products. Twenty times as sweet as sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup became the choice of beverage, bread and cereal makers. Dentists recognized the increasing amount of cavities and the obesity problem began to grow and grow as high fructose corn syrup began to infiltrate almost every food we consumed. Even an 8 oz. container of most yogurt contains as many as 37 grams of sugar. The body turns HFCS into fat very readily. Whereas 30 years ago the average American consumed only 1 pound of this sweetener , now the typical annual intake is around 60 pounds. Large amounts of sugar are used in the making of wines. This I learned while watching my grandfather convert the grapes into his own homemade red wine.

Cavities are a minor problem compared to the health problems brought on by large intake of sugar. One problem is type 2 diabetes which occurs most often in overweight people. Eating a lot of sugar raises the triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood as well as lowering the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good”) cholesterol and increasing the (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol. Both changes contribute to cardiovascular disease.

The United Nations is urging people to limit sugar consumption to 10% of total daily calories, based on a 2000 calorie intake. That’s less than the 25% of calories recommended by U.S. public health officials (at the urging of the sugar lobbyists).

Try to limit your intake of added sugar to 10% of your daily calories. (The natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables doesn’t count.) So if you usually take in 2000 calories a day, no more than 200 of them should come from added sugar. To meet your goal, keep an eye on the Nutrition Facts labels. Sugar, especially HFCS is everywhere. When cooking use much less sugar than the recipes call for. Sugar promotes acid in the system as another side effect and is the primary culprit in the surge in obesity in this country. I haven’t bought a 5 lb. bag of sugar in 20 years. Personally, I prefer fruits and vegetables for sweetness and when I go out to eat I order water with a couple of wedges of lemon and a packet of “Sweet & Low.” Watch the scale reflect your weight loss with just this adjustment to your Nutrition-Based-Regimen. All © Rights reserved Stan Kent 2004

Acid Indigestion or Alkalize & Energize

Doctors have known for many decades that acidic blood is due to an imbalance brought on by the foods we eat. Recent discoveries reveal that an acid imbalance can cause many of the major diseases attacking our population.

ACID OVERLOAD is so prevalent that the number one over the counter drug is "TUMS". Have you ever noticed the acid you get after eating certain foods? Do fried foods, meats, eggs, bread, cheese, sugar, rice, milk, crackers, coffee, chocolate and cereals affect your stomach causing acid indigestion? That’s because all these are acid in nature. We crave foods that are acid-forming and over-acidification of body fluids and tissues is linked to every known disease, including chronic fatigue syndrome. The digestive disorders caused by eating in fat-food-chains is now a part of everyday life for millions of Americans. Pizza, french fries, fish fry, greasy hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage, cheese dips and fried chicken are only a few food choices that are at the root of the problem.

Carbohydrates exposed to high heat produce a carcinogen which can lead to cancer. Restaurant food could be nutritious, but frying is faster and more profitable in terms of sales because it is quick and you don’t complain or ask for changes.

Kitchens are becoming obsolete as more families choose to eat out or order food delivered to their homes. People are in a hurry and trust that the FDA is looking out for them and the food they are eating is healthy and inspected for contaminants. Their doctors have quick solutions to the problem, prescribing brand names such as Prilosec®, Prevacid® and Nexium® to alleviate heartburn and esophageal irritation. These drugs are classified as "proton-pump inhibitors. While there is nothing wrong with the short-term use of these acid-blocking drugs, long-term stomach acid deficiency results in overproduction of a hormone called gastrin.

GASTRIN IS THE AGENT THAT SIGNALS THE STOMACH TO PRODUCE MORE ACID. Blocking the acid production causes the body to generate too much gastrin in a futile attempt to induce acid production. The problem is that there are gastrin receptors on the membranes of many esophageal, pancreatic, and gastric cancer cells. Large amounts of gastrin can bind to these receptor sites to induce the cells to hyper proliferate. This means that long-term proton pump inhibiting therapy (ACID BLOCKERS) could increase your risk of these lethal cancers.

What’s the opposite of acidic food? Alkaline, which is found in disease -free blood. What’s alkaline? Vegetables, fruits, a few grains and nuts. What’s the science behind ACID vs ALKALINE? The relationship between acid and alkaline is scientifically quantified on a scale of 1 to 14 known as pH. On that scale, 7 is neutral. Below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline.

MOST OF US EAT 80% ACID FOODS AND 20% ALKALINE FOODS: The opposite ratio is the one that will guide you to disease-free vibrant health — for life! When you break the acid overload cycle, you flush out the acids through your kidneys. And when you flush acids, you also minimize the over acidity that’s been keeping your pounds on or keeping you sick. Putting alkalinity back into your body helps neutralize the daily acid production and helps your body to feel better, recover quicker and reduce food cravings. Your body begins to function in good health and becomes energized. A high alkaline balance is your body’s first line of defense against fatigue, illness and disease. Those suffering from gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) might want to have their blood tested to determine the pH and consider a change in their eating habits before they decide to become addicted to another drug with possible dangerous consequences.

LUTEIN EYE BENEFITS

LUTEIN IS A PIGMENT (coloring agent) FOUND PRIMARILY IN LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES. It is a member of the carotenoid family, which also includes beta-carotene and lycopene. Like other carotenoids, lutein is an antioxidant — a substance that mops up toxic molecules called free radicals, which can damage cells.

EYE BENEFITS: Lutein has several purported health benefits, including possible protective effects against colon cancer and breast cancer. But the strongest evidence supports lutein’s ability to protect the eye from cataracts and macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older adults.

Lutein is deposited in the retina and is especially concentrated in the macula, the critically important retinal structure that transmits color images to the brain. The macula may sustain significant damage over time, especially from sun exposure and free radicals. Sun exposure also damages the lens of the eye and contributes to the development of cataracts. Researchers speculate that lutein may act as a "shade" to protect the delicate structures of the eye.

Some population-based studies suggest that people with a high dietary intake of lutein-rich foods have a lower risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. In addition, a small study found that lutein improved vision in people who already have cataracts. But none of these benefits has been proven in large clinical trials.

GOOD SOURCES OF LUTEIN: Unlike vitamins and minerals, lutein has not been assigned a recommended daily intake. However, in one large study, 6 milligrams (mg) of lutein per day was enough to reduce the risk of cataracts, and many experts believe this is an adequate daily intake. Other researchers suggest that daily amounts between 6 and 30 mg are needed to achieve eye benefits.

These amounts are obtainable through foods, but the estimated daily intake of lutein in the U.S. is only 2 to 4 mg. Green vegetables are the best source: ½ cup of cooked kale has approximately 12 mg; cooked spinach, 10 mg; Swiss chard, 10 mg; collard greens, 7 mg; raw spinach (1 cup), 4 mg; and frozen peas, 2 mg. Broccoli, zucchini, Romaine lettuce and Brussels sprouts each have about 1 mg. Common doses in lutein supplements are 6 mg or 20 mg. If you choose to take a supplement, do not exceed the recommended amount because maximum safe dosages have not been determined. Lutein supplements are more readily absorbed when taken with a meal containing fat or oils.

Source: Men’s Health Advisor/January 2005