All About Antioxidants

You have undoubtedly heard that a diet rich in antioxidants can help prevent cancer. But what does that really mean? What foods have antioxidants? Is there such a thing as an antioxidant supplement? And what if you already have cancer? Are antioxidants a cure?

How antioxidants work

To answer these questions, we must first understand how antioxidants work in the body. Every cell in the human body runs on oxygen. However, as important as oxygen is, it also causes damage to the very cells that rely on it to live. This damage is called oxidation. You have seen the effects of oxidation when an apple that has been cut turns brown when exposed to air. However, if you put lemon juice on the apple it stays white. The lemon juice acts as an antioxidant, preventing the damage to the flesh. The process is similar in your body. Oxygen damages cells, which over time can lead to mutations such as cancer. The antioxidants in your diet work like lemon juice on the flesh of an apple, protecting cells from damage and actually reversing some damage that may have already occurred.

Best sources of antioxidants

Thousands of antioxidants naturally occur in plant foods. The most well known are Vitamin E,  Vitamin C, beta carotene, and selenium. While they all work to prevent oxidative damage, they each have their own method of getting the job done. They also work best as a team, each doing its part to provide well-rounded protection against cancer.

The best sources of antioxidants are brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Particularly good sources are:

• Prunes
• Berries
• Raisins
• Oranges
• Red grapes
• Cherries
• Kale
• Beets
• Red bell peppers
• Spinach
• Broccoli.

Ideal daily intake of antioxidant-rich foods

Studies show that people who eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily are at much lower risks of developing cancer. You may be thinking that 9 servings a day is an impossible feat. While it is indeed a lot of food, it is possible to achieve! One thing to consider is serving size. A typical serving size is smaller than you may think:

• 1 medium piece of fruit or ½ a large banana
• ½ cup chopped fruit or vegetable
• 1 cup green leafy vegetable
• ¾ cup fruit or vegetable juice
• ¼ cup dried fruit.

Studies show that antioxidant supplements do not provide the same cancer protection as the actual foods. In some cases, antioxidant supplements increase the risk of some types of cancers. No pill can provide the same balance of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that are found in a single fruit or vegetable.

Sample antioxidant-rich menu

With a little creativity and planning, you can eat an antioxidant-rich diet everyday. Take a look at this sample menu to see how easy it can be:
Breakfast
½ cup oatmeal with ¼ cup raisins (1 serving fruit)
¾ cup vegetable juice (1 serving vegetable)
Morning Snack
¾ cup yogurt with ½ cup blueberries (1 serving fruit)
Lunch
Chicken salad sandwich with ½ cup pineapple and red grapes (1 serving fruit)
1 cup spinach salad with ½ cup chopped mixed veggies (2 servings vegetable)
Dinner
Beef stir fry with 1 cup red bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms (2 servings vegetable)
½ cup applesauce (1 serving fruit)
Total: 9 servings

Cancer and antioxidants

People who are living with cancer have a special interest in the ability of antioxidants to fight disease. While antioxidants can repair some existing oxidative damage, they have not been shown to cure cancer, and very high doses of antioxidants in supplement form may actually work against certain cancer treatments. If you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer, it is recommended that you eat as many fruits and vegetables as you are able, and take a multivitamin that provides no more than 100% of the daily recommended value for vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins C and E, selenium, and beta carotene.

Studies have also shown that cancer survivors can reduce the risk of a secondary cancer or a cancer recurrence by following a plant based diet. Therefore, once cancer treatment has been completed, cancer survivors should strive to eat at least 9 servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables daily, and may wish to continue supplementation with a multivitamin.

By incorporating antioxidant-rich foods into your diet everyday, you can take control of your health and dramatically reduce your risk of developing cancer and other age-related diseases. Start today by adding a serving of fruit to breakfast, or vegetable juice between meals. Your body will thank you with good health for a lifetime!

The Benefits of Antioxidants

Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from lycopenes to Green tea extract are touted for their anti-cancer, immune system enhancing, and age-delaying properties. There are many claims that Vitamins  C , E, A and its precursor, beta carotene, reduce the risk of heart attacks and cancer through their antioxidant effects.

Foods with high levels of antioxidants

Research has shown that people who eat a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in foods that contain high levels of antioxidants, have lower rates of heart disease. People who consume green tea in large amounts have reduced cancer rates. And there is evidence that frequent consumption of tomato products can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. From data such as this, many people have concluded that taking antioxidants in pill form will do the same thing. The problem is that in the body, taking a pill is not the same as eating the food.

Oxidation and free radicals

Oxidation is the process by which oxygen combines with something. When our blood is oxidized, that's good - oxidized blood brings oxygen to our tissues to keep them alive. Oxidation takes place throughout our bodies in the process of making energy for our bodies to work correctly.
Sometimes oxidation is a bad thing. Fruits and vegetables that are in contact with oxygen in the air eventually spoil and turn brown. Butterfat will turn rancid after prolonged exposure to oxygen. In our bodies, oxidized LDL / the bad cholesterol,  sticks to and clogs our arteries. In some areas, the oxidizing process creates electrically charged molecules called "free radicals" that can interact with other parts of our cells.

Our immune systems use certain free radicals in a good way to help us kill infection. However, the electric charge can damage DNA and proteins in our cells. DNA damage can lead to cancer, and damage to structural proteins can cause aging changes. Proponents of antioxidant supplementation reason, therefore, that an antioxidant could prevent this problem.

Is it the food or a component of the food?

No one really knows if it's the lycopenes in tomatoes and the catechins in green tea that reduce the risk of cancer; or if it's the vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids in a Mediterranean diet that reduce the heart disease risk; or if the benefit actually comes from something else. Perhaps it's the food itself that helps fight disease, not a concentrated dose of some part of the food. So why not use supplemental antioxidants anyway, just in case? Because studies of supplementation with vitamin E and beta carotene have shown increased risks of heart disease and cancer.

Good health: diet, exercise & no smoking

There are no shortcuts to good health. It is well established that a diet rich in a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables with whole grains, seeds, and nuts is the most healthful in the long term. It helps us keep our immune systems in good working order and can lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. However, it is important to realize that diet is only part of the picture. Tobacco avoidance, regular exercise, and maintaining a normal weight are essential.

So, are antioxidants good or bad?

Some people claim that doctors don't want you to know about the health benefits of antioxidants. It's silly to think that doctors would intentionally avoid using something helpful. With no evidence of benefit and some evidence of harm, it's understandable why physicians do not recommend antioxidant supplements routinely.

There is one exception, however. In age related macular degeneration (AMD) , there is evidence that certain antioxidants can slow the progression of the problem once it's developed. There is no evidence that supplements can prevent it although a good diet, avoidance of ultraviolet light, and not smoking do reduce the risk. 

Unless recommended by a physician for a specific reason, for now it's best not to use antioxidant supplements. No one has any scientific evidence of consistent benefit, and they may cause harm. The best thing to do is to eat a varied diet that includes foods with antioxidants, rather than consuming the antioxidants themselves.

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