The body produces antioxidants like vitamins C and E and carotenoids to defend cells against daily damage caused by free radicals, known as oxidative stress. Over time this prolonged oxidative stress can lead to disease as well as contribute to the aging process.
Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals, protecting damaged cells from cell damage and safeguarding DNA. Antioxidants can be consumed via food (eating fruits and vegetables) or supplements.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are natural substances that protect cells against damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals possess unpaired electrons that they take by taking electrons from other healthy molecules – this results in them becoming highly reactive, potentially leading to cell damage or even mutations that lead to disease.
Your body produces some antioxidants naturally, while others can be found in fruits and vegetables such as goji berries and tomatoes. Antioxidants come from vitamins (vitamin C, E and beta-carotene) and minerals like selenium; some antioxidants may become more readily absorbed when eaten alongside certain other nutrients – for instance lycopene can be more easily absorbed when combined with fat in food products.
Diet is one of the primary sources of antioxidants in our bodies; in addition to eating healthful food, exercise and getting adequate rest are two other effective strategies to increase antioxidant levels.
Most antioxidants are well known, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and selenium; however, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of compounds that act as antioxidants; some synthetic while others natural based. Antioxidants come in all shapes and forms; from free radical scavengers, singlet oxygen quenchers, transition metal chelators to phenols produced in your liver to those found in vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower and herbs such as turmeric that serve to protect from free radical damage.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, commonly referred to as ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient necessary for building and sustaining blood vessels, tissues, cartilage and organs in your body. Additionally, it helps protect against free radicals which damage healthy cells and hasten aging. Vitamin C can be found in many fruits and vegetables like citrus fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, cantaloupe green peppers cauliflower red peppers cabbage sweet potatoes; increasing intake by adding more fruits and vegetables or taking an oral daily supplement of 500 mg of vitamin C will be easily achievable.
Studies have indicated that increasing antioxidant consumption (i.e. vitamins E, C and A) may help decrease risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease due to oxidative damage; however, evidence may still be unclear; one analysis of plasma antioxidant levels and cognitive test showed participants with lower vitamin C status had lower scores on digit symbol substitution task than those with higher vitamin C status; however this comparison cannot be drawn due to lack of information regarding nutritional intake and duration of usage of vitamin C supplements in this particular study.
Long-term vitamin C supplementation did not significantly slow cognitive decline over a 14-year follow up period for 616 North Carolina elderly residents in a longitudinal study; however, researchers noted that concomitant diseases could have obscured its effects.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E provides numerous health-promoting advantages. As an antioxidant nutrient, this antioxidant reduces free-radical damage in blood vessels and arteries while aiding immune system functionality, gene expression and cell signaling processes. Most individuals get enough Vitamin E in their diet from foods like nuts and vegetable oils; however, people suffering from health conditions such as liver disease may require supplementation with additional sources such as vitamins E.
Studies have demonstrated that topical application of vitamin E to the skin can help defend against UV-induced wrinkles and lower free radical production, thus helping protect against cancer-causing free radicals and collagen breakdown, an essential protein component of skin structure. Unfortunately, orally administered vitamins cannot reverse preexisting wrinkles.
Researchers are investigating whether vitamin E supplementation can lower the risk of heart disease and other ailments among people living with diabetes, including age-related macular degeneration. Most clinical trials to date have not demonstrated this benefit; one possible reason may be that trials use all-rac–tocopherol (incorrectly labeled dl-a-tocopherol), which has less bioavailability than RRR–tocopherol found naturally in diet.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are naturally-occurring molecules that impart color pigmentation to plants, giving fruits and vegetables their distinctive hue. Carotenoids are C40 tetraterpene pigments with long chains of conjugated double bonds forming long conjugated chains. Polyene vibration-based solutions can be used to scavenge singlet oxygen by physically absorbing it and then releasing it again through polyene vibration, while acting as photoprotectors, antioxidants, color attractants and even nutritional vitamin A precursors. Photosynthesis produces phytoene hydrocarbon precursors which can then be synthesized directly by photosynthetic bacteria, some species of archaea and fungi, algae, plants, animals that consume plant-based foods, as well as through metabolic reactions in animal tissues from phytoene hydrocarbon precursors. They’re also abundantly found incorporated into lipid membranes as well as other cell structures.
ROS protection can help combat extrinsic aging by protecting against ROS production in the skin. Furthermore, antioxidants may relieve oxidative stress associated with chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer or neurodegenerative conditions by preventing lipid peroxidation and stimulating antioxidant enzymes (such as NADPH oxidases).
However, bioavailability of these compounds is low: taking them orally is difficult, while topical application takes a while to reach skin cells due to absorption in the gut and circulation before reaching skin. Too many antioxidants could interfere with natural oxidation processes required by normal body functioning – for example taking too much Vitamin C after physical activity could interfere with its natural anti-oxidant responses and disrupt natural anti-oxidative mechanisms that might normally respond.
Flavonoids
Dietary flavonoids found in food are well-known for their beneficial biological effects on health. Flavonols and flavanones exhibit strong antioxidant activity, as well as being anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticarcinogenic. You’ll find these substances in fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine, and berries; their consumption can help lower neurodegenerative disease risk while counteracting age related cognitive disorders as well as protecting against oxidative stress-related diseases and supporting body redox balance.
Studies have demonstrated that diets rich in flavonoids reduce the risk of pathological conditions which shorten genetic lifespan, such as cancers, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and metabolic disorders. Furthermore, flavonoids have proven effective at treating oxidative stress-related illnesses by blocking activation of the inflammatory response system.
Chemical modifications were performed on Luteolin, Apigenin and Diosmetin to produce their derivatives: Luteinone, Apigenone–diosmetin and O4′,O7-dihexyl Chrysin which displayed superior antioxidant activity compared to their parent compounds. These flavonoids could protect against diseases associated with oxidative stress as well as extend mice lifespan by protecting against it and increasing lifespan by an additional month. Furthermore, this new chemical may increase therapeutic potential by improving solubility, stability and absorption into human bodies as well as developing drugs with increased bioavailability and efficacy which could help treat various skin conditions including wrinkles, dermatitis or acne.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are non-nutritional bioactive compounds found in plants that may offer health advantages. Examples include carotenoids, polyphenols, isoprenoids, phytosterols, saponins and dietary fibers that have antioxidant properties. Furthermore, phytochemicals exhibit antimicrobial, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory and anthelmintic activities as well as helping regulate gene transcription and gap junction communication processes – which could potentially lower cardiovascular disease risk as well as cancer risks.
Foods and supplements rich in phytochemicals can significantly improve our cellular health by increasing our body’s level of antioxidants. One effective way to do this is through eating an assortment of plant-based foods with higher phytochemical contents; such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits, legumes, and nuts.
Not consuming enough antioxidants may also be detrimental, since they interfere with the body’s natural oxidation process that benefits health. Furthermore, excessive consumption can lead to metabolic stress and toxicity which in turn leads to various health concerns.
Extraction methods have an immense effect on phytochemical quality. Solvents used should be environmentally-friendly and non-toxic; green solvents like water, glycerol, fatty acids/oils and acetic acid may be more suitable than their non-green counterparts in terms of degrading compounds as well as being safer for human consumption.
