How do antioxidants work?
Everyone always talks about how antioxidants are so great for you, but I'm not very clear on exactly what they are or how they work. Can someone please explain this to me? Thanks!
Asked by: Kim from Des Moines, IA
Answers (2)
How antioxidants work
The term "antioxidants" actually covers a huge variety of mostly naturally occurring chemicals. As more and more scientific evidence points to their benefits, we get bombarded by more and more stuff claiming to have "antioxidant power".
Here is a simple way to understand antioxidants and what they do in your body.
If you were to take a piece of metal, coat it in oil and wrap it in plastic wrap the way you wrap food in the fridge, that metal would not rust, or rust very slowly. That is because you have protected it from oxidation ( air, oxygen). If you were to unwrap it and take off the oil coating it would rust pretty quickly when exposed to air (oxygen).
Our bodies run on oxygen and as a result of normal metabolism (living and breathing!) we generate by-products that promote oxidation. In the body you can think of oxidation as "body rust" and anti-oxidants as kind of natural "rustoleum" to protect and prevent your body from "rusting".
Now it gets a lot more complicated than that but here are a few more important facts you should know:
- Oxidation can damage your genetic material and cause cancer.
- Oxidation can cause inflammation in the blood vessels of your heart and brain and elsewhere leading to clogged arteries.
- Oxidation ( from air, sunlight and environmental pollutants) can cause your skin to age faster.
Anti-oxidants can help prevent these reactions and in a very real sense help keep you healthier and "younger".
But do your homework carefully! Not all anti-oxidants are created equal and there is a ton of hype. Some anti-oxidants that work and have scientific backing are:
- Co enzyme Q 10
- Alpha Lipoic Acid
- Resveratrol and berry derived anthocyanidins (choke berry and black currant especially)
- Green tea and green tea extracts
Some that have proven disappointing:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Blueberries
In my patients with a family history of "oxidative diseases" ( heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's arthritis), a lot of stress, or a lot of heavy highly strenuous exercise, I recommend the use of supplemental anti-oxidants.
Antioxidants and sunscreen can protect you from the sun
With department stores, doctors offices, and pharmacies FULL of all kinds of creams, lotions and potions for your skin, it's hard to know what to select. I always tell patients that if you enjoy a product, use it.
BUT, if you want to do something to protect your skin for the long term from skin cancer and wrinkles, you must be on an antioxidant formulation. Ultraviolet radiation (UV light) from the SUN is known to cause skin damage and wrinkles as well as several forms of skin cancer. UV light causes damage by penetrating the skin and create "free radicals" – highly reactive molecules that can destroy cells, damage DNA, create age spots and wrinkles, depress the immune system, and ultimately cause skin cancer.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM UV LIGHT?
The answer is, of course, daily broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) sunscreen and ANTIOXIDANTS. Antioxidants are important because they significantly reduce the production of damaging free radicals by UV light. These protective antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C or E, can help prevent skin cancer and keep skin firm and young looking. Both oral (pills and food containing healthy A, C, and E vitamins) as well as topical preparations (there are many prescription and commercially available formulations) are effective therapies.
Good luck and wear suncreen!
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