Antioxidants: The Power to Prevent Disease

Role of Oxidative stress in degenerative disease

Oxidative stress is thought to contribute to the development of a wide range of diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, the pathologies caused by diabetes,rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegeneration in motor neurone diseases.In many of these cases, it is unclear if oxidants trigger the disease, or if they are produced as a consequence of the disease and cause the disease symptoms;as a plausible alternative, a neurodegenerative disease might result from defective axonal transport of mitochondria, which carry out oxidation reactions. One case in which this link is particularly well-understood is the role of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease. Here, low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation appears to trigger the process of atherogenesis, which results in atherosclerosis, and finally cardiovascular disease.

A low calorie diet extends median and maximum lifespan in many animals. This effect may involve a reduction in oxidative stress.While there is good evidence to support the role of oxidative stress in aging in model organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans,the evidence in mammals is less clear. Diets high in fruit and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants, promote health and reduce the effects of aging, however antioxidant vitamin supplementation has no detectable effect on the aging process, so the effects of fruit and vegetables may be unrelated to their antioxidant contents.

 One reason for this might be the fact that consuming antioxidant molecules such as polyphenols and vitamin E will produce changes in other parts of metabolism, so it may be these other non-antioxidant effects that are the real reason they are important in human nutrition.

Health effects of Antioxidants

Antioxidants in Disease Treatment

The brain is uniquely vulnerable to oxidative injury, due to its high metabolic rate and elevated levels of polyunsaturated lipids, the target of lipid peroxidation.Consequently, antioxidants are commonly used as medications to treat various forms of brain injury. Here, superoxide dismutase mimetics, sodium thiopental and propofol are used to treat reperfusion injury and traumatic brain injury, while the experimental drug NXY-059 and ebselenare being applied in the treatment of stroke. These compounds appear to prevent oxidative stress in neurons and prevent apoptosis and neurological damage. Antioxidants are also being investigated as possible treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and as a way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss.

Antioxidants and Disease prevention

 

Structure of the polyphenol antioxidant resveratrol.

Antioxidants can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of free radicals. Furthermore, people who eat fruits and vegetables, which are good sources of antioxidants, have a lower risk of heart disease and some neurological diseases,and there is evidence that some types of vegetables, and fruits in general, probably protect against a number of cancers. These observations suggested that antioxidants might help prevent these conditions. There is some evidence that antioxidants might help prevent diseases such as macular degeneration, suppressed immunity due to poor nutrition, and neurodegeneration. However, despite the clear role of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease, controlled studies using antioxidant vitamins have observed no reduction in either the risk of developing heart disease, or the rate of progression of existing disease. This suggests that other substances in fruit and vegetables (possibly flavonoids), or a complex mix of substances, may contribute to the better cardiovascular health of those who consume more fruit and vegetables.

It is thought that oxidation of low density lipoprotein in the blood contributes to heart disease, and initial observational studies found that people taking Vitamin E supplements had a lower risk of developing heart disease. Consequently, at least seven large clinical trials were conducted to test the effects of antioxidant supplement with Vitamin E, in doses ranging from 50 to 600 mg per day. However, none of these trials found a statistically significant impact on the role of Vitamine E supplements on the reduction of free radicals.

The role of raw dark chocolate, the highest known vegitable source of antioxidants among ALL fruits & vegitables studied should be explored given the apprent inconclusive results of Vitamin E supplement studies  – see healthy ark chocolate research listed at http://healthy4ever.XPowertour.com

Role of Oxidative stress in degenerative disease

Oxidative stress is thought to contribute to the development of a wide range of diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, the pathologies caused by diabetes,rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegeneration in motor neurone diseases.In many of these cases, it is unclear if oxidants trigger the disease, or if they are produced as a consequence of the disease and cause the disease symptoms;as a plausible alternative, a neurodegenerative disease might result from defective axonal transport of mitochondria, which carry out oxidation reactions. One case in which this link is particularly well-understood is the role of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease. Here, low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation appears to trigger the process of atherogenesis, which results in atherosclerosis, and finally cardiovascular disease.

A low calorie diet extends median and maximum lifespan in many animals. This effect may involve a reduction in oxidative stress.While there is good evidence to support the role of oxidative stress in aging in model organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans,the evidence in mammals is less clear. Diets high in fruit and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants, promote health and reduce the effects of aging, however antioxidant vitamin supplementation has no detectable effect on the aging process, so the effects of fruit and vegetables may be unrelated to their antioxidant contents.

 One reason for this might be the fact that consuming antioxidant molecules such as polyphenols and vitamin E will produce changes in other parts of metabolism, so it may be these other non-antioxidant effects that are the real reason they are important in human nutrition.

Health effects of Antioxidants

Antioxidants in Disease Treatment

The brain is uniquely vulnerable to oxidative injury, due to its high metabolic rate and elevated levels of polyunsaturated lipids, the target of lipid peroxidation.Consequently, antioxidants are commonly used as medications to treat various forms of brain injury. Here, superoxide dismutase mimetics, sodium thiopental and propofol are used to treat reperfusion injury and traumatic brain injury, while the experimental drug NXY-059 and ebselenare being applied in the treatment of stroke. These compounds appear to prevent oxidative stress in neurons and prevent apoptosis and neurological damage. Antioxidants are also being investigated as possible treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and as a way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss.

Antioxidants and Disease prevention

Structure of the polyphenol antioxidant resveratrol.

Antioxidants can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of free radicals. Furthermore, people who eat fruits and vegetables, which are good sources of antioxidants, have a lower risk of heart disease and some neurological diseases,and there is evidence that some types of vegetables, and fruits in general, probably protect against a number of cancers. These observations suggested that antioxidants might help prevent these conditions. There is some evidence that antioxidants might help prevent diseases such as macular degeneration, suppressed immunity due to poor nutrition, and neurodegeneration. However, despite the clear role of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease, controlled studies using antioxidant vitamins have observed no reduction in either the risk of developing heart disease, or the rate of progression of existing disease. This suggests that other substances in fruit and vegetables (possibly flavonoids), or a complex mix of substances, may contribute to the better cardiovascular health of those who consume more fruit and vegetables.

It is thought that oxidation of low density lipoprotein in the blood contributes to heart disease, and initial observational studies found that people taking Vitamin E supplements had a lower risk of developing heart disease. Consequently, at least seven large clinical trials were conducted to test the effects of antioxidant supplement with Vitamin E, in doses ranging from 50 to 600 mg per day. However, none of these trials found a statistically significant impact on the role of Vitamine E supplements on the reduction of free radicals.

The role of raw dark chocolate, the highest known vegitable source of antioxidants among ALL fruits & vegitables studied  – see healthy ark chocolate research listed at http://healthy4ever.XPowertour.com

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