The Health Benefits of Antioxidants in the Diet

Vitamin C helps fight infection, vitamin E with anti aging, selenium protects against cancer and betacarotene protects the skin.

Everyone seems to be talking about antioxidants these days. The more we learn about them the more we realize how important they are for a healthy diet and proper nutrition.

Antioxidants are now popping up in research all over the place and seem to help with everything from preventing cancer and heart disease to slowing macular degeneration and Alzeimer’s.

Understanding how antioxidants work is fairly straightforward. What makes them so effective is their ability to neutralize a group of highly reactive, highly destructive compounds called free radicals.

Free radicals form naturally in the body and are normally neutralized by the body’s own natural defense system, making them harmless. However, anything that weakens the body’s natural defenses also weakens its ability to fight free radicals. This can be anything from environmental pollution, poor diet, excess UV radiation or drinking too much alcohol. Current research suggests free radicals contribute to the aging process and illnesses, including cancer and heart disease.

Vitamin supplements containing antioxidants such as vitamin C are important, however, there is no real substitute for a healthy diet. Fruit and vegetables often contain more than 4,000 compounds with antioxidant qualities. Eating a healthy diet is the only way to assimilate these antioxidant properties efficiently.

Vitamin C helps Fight Infection

Perhaps the most studied of all the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It is a water soluble vitamin and it is thought to be one of body’s first lines of defense against infection and disease. As vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, the body does not store it so it must be consumed in adequate quantities every day. Good dietary sources of vitamin C include citrus fruit such as oranges and grapefruits, green peppers, broccoli and other green leafy vegetables, strawberries, cabbage and potatoes.

Vitamin E and the Aging Process

Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin stored in the liver and other tissues. Vitamin E has been studied for its effects on everything from delaying the aging process to healing sunburn. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant and good dietary sources include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetable oil, fish liver oil and green leafy veggies.

Beta-carotene Protects the Skin

Beta-carotene is perhaps the most widely studied of over 600 carotenoids that have been discovered. In nature, beta-carotene protects the skins of dark green, yellow and orange fruits from the damaging effects of the sun. Researchers believe beta-carotene plays a similar protective role in the human body. Good sources of beta-carotene include broccoli, tomatoes, collard greens, kale, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots.

Selenium and Cancer

Selenium is one of the most important minerals in the diet and has been studied for its ability to prevent cell damage. This ability makes it an important nutrient in the prevention of cancer and selenium is believed to have cancer preventative properties. Good sources of dietary selenium include fish and shellfish, red meat, whole grains, poultry and eggs, and garlic. Vegetables grown in selenium rich soils are also good dietary sources.

First published Aug 2, 2010 Fiona Wilkinson

References:

Liu RH. Potential synergy of phytochemicals in cancer prevention: mechanism of action. J Nutr. 2004;134(12 Suppl):3479S-3485S.

Joshipura KJ, Hu FB, Manson JE, et al. The effect of fruit and vegetable intake on risk for coronary heart disease. Ann Intern Med. 2001;134(12):1106-1114.