Sunday, June 20, 2010

Antioxidants food supplements Safety considerations and facts about Antioxidant therapy

Antioxidants food Supplements Safety considerations and facts:
Oxidation is a processes which occurs in our body naturally or after it is exposed to certain chemicals or infections or tissue damages or exposure to radiations our body produces "free radicals," in our body like peroxide radical , which are very unstable molecules when they come in contact with a healthy tissue cell they attack on it and brings oxidative damages to its proteins and enzyme systems there by damaging the healthy cells this process some time is a sort of chain reaction.
Free radicals are generated while our body metabolizes foods for energy and for storage. They are also generated when our body is exposed to tobacco smoke, radiation, and environmental contaminants and antigens and allergens . The damage thus caused by free radicals causes serious damages, also called as "oxidative stress," this oxidative stress has very important role in the developing diseases, like Rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, eye disease, heart disease, Parkinson's disease,

Examples of such free radicals and highly corrosive and oxidative molecules which are produced in our body cells is as follows.

Highly oxidative molecules produced in cells are hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ammonia, and nitrogenous products like cretinin and uria produced as a metabolic biproducts , hypochlorous acid (HOCl), free radicals include hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide anion (O2−)
These oxidizing radicles can bring about oxidation in DNA proteins and Damage to DNA causes mutation and cancer , oxidation in body proteins and causes denaturation of proteins and enzymes , there by causes enzyme inhibition , vital body mechanisms are hindered or slowed down.

It is found in laboratory experiments that antioxidant molecules counter oxidative stress and its associated damage , but there is no clear evidence through “clinical trials” that an antioxidants treatment prevents serious diseases associated with oxidative stress. There is also a fear that consuming antioxidants in excessive doses may produce undesired effects.

The body has a capability to produce its own antioxidants and also it can get them from foods. vegetables and fruits grain cereals, teas and nuts and legumes are best source of naturally occurring antioxidants they are found in abundance in them

Examples of antioxidants are as follows:
Anthocyanins, beta-carotene, catechins, coenzyme Q10, flavonoids, lipoic acid, lutein, lycopene, selenium, and vitamins C and E. glutathione, enzymes like catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidases

Eating more antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables is has showed some reduced risk of certain chronic diseases. How ever clinical trials with external suppliment of antioxidant did not prodced any benefits.

Safety considerations for antioxidants food supplements
Antioxidants in foods and their supplements are considered safe, antioxidant supplements have not shown any adverse effects.
However,
1.)beta-carotene supplements in smokers may increase the risk of lung cancer,
2.)Supplements vitamin E can increase the risk of bleeding in certain individuals
One should not use antioxidant supplements as a replacement for a healthful diet or medicines prescribed by your doctor or medical care or therapy .

Facts about Antixidatnts:
There is no evidence so far supported by any clinical trial that , use of an antioxidant supplement , actually reduce the risk of risk of all such diseases which are considered to be evolved due to toxic effect of oxidative process of free radicals , radiations. (From x-rays and TV and Computer monitors )

Following is the only exception of clinical study where there is a positive result form the use of antioxidant treatment was prvided at  National Eye Institute at where it was found that the a combining an antioxidant and zinc lowered the risk of developing advancements of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with 25 percent in people who had intermediate AMD

Antioxidants are substances which have more potential to get oxidised it self than the surrounding medium where they get incorporated , be it a pharmaceutical dosage form or a dietary supplement . Antioxidants when incorporated in diet are considered to prevent oxidative cell damage diseases due to oxidative free radicals which results through natural body metabolism or after exposure to certain chemicals or radiations (Computer monitors , if you use it for long hours).

Widely used antioxidant supplements include vitamins C and E, selenium, beta-carotene.

Although observational studies have found that a diet with high in antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables reduces the risk for chronic diseases remarkably, and there is very limited proof to support that the use of antioxidant supplements to prevent disease.


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