Antioxidants: What are they used for? Where can they be found?
Who hasn't heard of oxidative stress and antioxidants? These are terms that have become common, but what exactly are they and what are their impacts on the body?
What is oxidative stress?
Oxidative stress results from an excess of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that react with the various components of our cells. They contribute to aging and the degradation of certain properties of the body and our cells.
Oxidizing products or agents are naturally produced by the body; they come from oxidation processes necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
Free radicals are naturally produced by our metabolism, but certain substances or situations are likely to increase their production.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are molecules that help combat oxidative stress. They are capable of neutralizing free radicals. Our body has a whole range of strategies to defend itself against oxidative stress. To do this, it uses specific enzymes (like the well-known SOD and catalase) but also antioxidant molecules themselves.
What are the best natural antioxidant molecules?
There are many molecules with antioxidant effects. Among the most effective are:
- vitamin E
- vitamin C
- vitamin A
- carotenoid pigments, including astaxanthin
- glutathione
- the catechins
What foods are richest in antioxidants?
Antioxidants are found in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, spices, green tea, and coffee .
Here are some categories of foods rich in antioxidants:
- Spices and herbs: cloves, turmeric, cumin, curry, garlic, thyme, basil, rosemary, dried oregano, ginger, saffron;
- Fruits: blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, kiwis, citrus fruits, apples, red berries;
- Vegetables: dried beans, artichokes, cabbage, spinach, carrots .
- Other foods: chocolate, red wine, green tea, coffee;
It is recommended to have a healthy and varied diet to fully benefit from the advantages of antioxidants.
It is also possible to take antioxidant supplements, but it is best to be careful not to consume them in excess and to take certain precautions such as avoiding Beta carotene if you are a smoker.
Where to find specific antioxidants? Top foods by category.
The different foods we eat don't all contain the same molecules... You might be looking to prioritize the consumption of certain categories of antioxidants. To help you, here is a non-exhaustive list of foods and the natural antioxidants they contain:
Foods rich in carotenoids
These are mostly yellow-orange fruits and vegetables and green leafy vegetables (carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, have been extensively studied and described as reducing the risk of AMD).
- Foods rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin:
- Curly green cabbage
- Spinach
- Artichokes
- Pumpkins
- Broccoli
- But
- Foods rich in beta-carotene
- Pumpkin
- Carrot
- Apricot
- Mango
- Spinach
- Foods rich in Cryptoxanthin
- Mango
- Pumpkin
- Red pepper
- Papaya
- Egg yolk
- Butter
- Foods rich in astaxanthin
- Some algae
- Krill Oil
- Some seafood
- Salmon
- Trout
Foods rich in polyphenols
Polyphenols are molecules derived from plants; they have strong antioxidant properties and are extensively studied for their preventative effect on certain pathologies such as cardiovascular or neurodegenerative diseases.
- Foods rich in flavonoids
- Green tea
- Citrus
- Blueberry
- Blackcurrant
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Cocoa
- Foods rich in catechins
- Black grape
- Red wine
- Red berries
- Cocoa
- Tea
- Foods rich in anthocyanins
- Blueberry
- Blackberry
- Cherry
- Black grape
- Eggplant
- Plum
- Red berries
-Foods rich in lignans
- Linen
- Sesame
Foods rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals
- Foods rich in vitamin E
- Sunflower oil
- Grape seed oil
- Wheat germ
- Hazelnuts
- Almonds
- Rapeseed oil
- Olive oil
- Peanuts
- Egg yolk
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Salmon
- Broccoli
- Foods rich in vitamin C
- Blackcurrant
- Guava
- Peppers (red and green)
- Broccoli
- Orange
- Lemon
- Raw cauliflower
- Mango
- Foods rich in zinc
- Oyster
- Wheat germ
- Crab
- Beef
- Sesame
- Nutritional yeast / Baker's yeast
- Pumpkins
- Wheat bran
- Foods rich in Selenium
- Royal Kombu
- Monkfish
- Tuna
- Pork kidneys
- Cod
- Saithe
- Beef/veal kidneys
- Cod liver
- Brazil nuts
- Egg
- Foods rich in copper
- Livers
- Dried spirulina (much less than in calf's liver)
- Offal
- Cocoa
- Cashew nuts
- Tea
- Basil
- Foods rich in manganese
- Dry Gracilia
- Tea
- Clove
- Powdered ginger
- Saffron
- Cardamom
- Turmeric powder
- Wheat germ
- Rice bran
- Wheat bran
What are the health benefits of antioxidants?
Antioxidants are essential for the proper functioning of the body. Therefore, they must be obtained regularly through diet. Excessive consumption is unnecessary; supplementation with high doses of antioxidants has not been shown to have a positive effect on health.
Consuming antioxidants helps protect the eyes from certain environmental and age-related damage. Several clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of antioxidant supplementation on eye health.
Beware of excessive consumption of antioxidants.
As is often the case, an excess of antioxidants is not good for the body.
There are situations where certain antioxidants, when consumed in excess, can have adverse effects on the body:
-
Beta-carotene supplementation in smokers may increase the risk of lung cancer, as observed in the CARET study.
-
Excessive vitamin E supplementation increases the risk of prostate cancer, as observed in the SELECT study where the doses used were nearly 30 times the recommended intake.
-
Antioxidant supplementation can be detrimental to the success of cancer treatment. It is crucial not to interfere with cancer treatments, whether chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The goal of these treatments is to kill cancer cells, which taking antioxidants can hinder. As a general rule, all supplementation should be avoided during cancer treatment without the approval of your oncologist.
If you wish to consume antioxidants in the form of dietary supplements, we recommend that you ask a healthcare professional about their compatibility with your personal situation and current treatments.
Antioxidants at Phytocea
At the house of At Phytocea , we created ORetine, a synergistic blend of vitamins and antioxidants. ORetine is an eye supplement , a formula registered exclusively with Phytocea. Its value lies in the synergy of its ingredients, particularly their antioxidant properties.
ORetine can be found in the Phytocea food supplement catalogue .
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