Myth Busting: All Antioxidants are the same

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stefanieraya
stefanieraya Posts: 110 Member
in Food and Nutrition
There’s a war going inside your body. It’s the war against oxidative stress. Free radicals are the enemies and antioxidants are the soldiers on the front line. They protect your body by neutralizing free radicals that attack from all fronts including internal and external sources such as visceral fat, poor diet, smoke, sun exposure, and pollution.

Just as different soldiers have specialized skills in war (think pilots, medics, or tank drivers), antioxidants also have various roles in which they can provide protection. Together, they can counterattack oxidative stress and support overall health.

Essential antioxidant vitamins include vitamins C, E, and A, but there are also several other kinds of antioxidants found in plants, including vegetables, spices, and herbs. Different antioxidants work in different locations in the body and even in different locations within cells.

For example, CoQ10 is an important antioxidant that works in the mitochondria (aka the energy-producing organelles within cells) and is especially concentrated in the heart, kidneys, and brain. CoQ10 is also important for muscle function (1).

Other antioxidants are specific compounds powerful enough to boost the production or efficiency of enzymes in the body that target oxidative stress (2-3). These enzymes—including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase—are the workhorses for battling internal and external toxins, protecting your DNA, and keeping your immune system healthy.

The solution to optimal health is a variety of antioxidants so your body has a diverse and skilled army.

1 Gökbel H et al. The effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on performance during repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise in sedentary men. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jan;24(1):97-102.
2 Savory LA, kerr CJ, Whiting P, Finer N, McEneny J, Ashton T. Selenium supplementation and exercise: effect on oxidative stress in overweight adults. Obesity 2011 May 19. [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1038/oby.2011.83
3 Sekhar RV, et al. Deficient synthesis of glutathione underlies oxidative stress in aging and can be corrected by dietary cysteine and glycine supplementation. Amer J Clin Nutr 2011. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.003483

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I wasn't aware there was a myth tha that all antioxidants are the same. I thought this would be about antioxidants found naturally in food vs. supplements.

    But, still good information.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,970 Member
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    Thanks for the post.


    Cholesterol could be an antioxidant if we define an antioxidant that helps lessen the oxidation stress delivered to the body.:smile:
    Meditation, yoga, petting a dog reduces oxidative stress. While exercising increases oxidative stress. Chronic stress is the killer.
  • stefanieraya
    stefanieraya Posts: 110 Member
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    Thanks for the post.


    Cholesterol could be an antioxidant if we define an antioxidant that helps lessen the oxidation stress delivered to the body.:smile:
    Meditation, yoga, petting a dog reduces oxidative stress. While exercising increases oxidative stress. Chronic stress is the killer.

    Very true.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Considering your going to continue to post several articles, can you please provide the link to the source?
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
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    Considering your going to continue to post several articles, can you please provide the link to the source?

    Apparently not. I just asked for the website and sources on another post and got no response.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    http://www.isagenixhealth.net/minute-myth-busting-all-antioxidants-are-the-same/

    Hmmmmmm.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    http://www.isagenixhealth.net/minute-myth-busting-all-antioxidants-are-the-same/

    Hmmmmmm.
    Ah, that explains it. The first thing on their main page is selling you a product to ease you through your cleanse. No thanks.
  • totem12
    totem12 Posts: 194 Member
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    The more and more research is done on antioxidants, the more the entire myth that consuming vast amounts of antioxidants is good for you is getting busted. Just because something is in healthy foods doesn't mean supplementing with it alone makes you healthier. Just because they play an important role in x,y,z doesn't mean that more makes it 'work better'. They're a marketing fad, plain and simple, and some studies are now suggesting antioxidant supplements may be actively HARMFUL, especially in smokers, where some antioxidants might possibly promote lung cancer development.
  • Zomoniac
    Zomoniac Posts: 1,169 Member
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    There’s a war going inside your body. It’s the war against oxidative stress. Free radicals are the enemies and antioxidants are the soldiers on the front line. They protect your body by neutralizing free radicals that attack from all fronts including internal and external sources such as visceral fat, poor diet, smoke, sun exposure, and pollution.

    Have you joined a cult?
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    The more and more research is done on antioxidants, the more the entire myth that consuming vast amounts of antioxidants is good for you is getting busted. Just because something is in healthy foods doesn't mean supplementing with it alone makes you healthier. Just because they play an important role in x,y,z doesn't mean that more makes it 'work better'. They're a marketing fad, plain and simple, and some studies are now suggesting antioxidant supplements may be actively HARMFUL, especially in smokers, where some antioxidants might possibly promote lung cancer development.
    I always found it interesting that large quantities of antioxidents can become oxidents and lead to cancer. The chances of doing that will food is next to nil. Start with tons of supplements, maybe you'd get there, but most likely you'd just put your kidneys in overdrive and pee them all out. Still an entertaining theory though.
  • totem12
    totem12 Posts: 194 Member
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    Indeed, going the other way and scaremongering about 'antioxidants causing cancer' is also useless and wrong! I just really hate these faddish terms bandied around by people who don't even understand what 'oxidative stress' actually is.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    If you eat a diet that is pretty rich in nutrient dense foods, you should be ok...I don't see any reason to supplement with antioxidants unless you have a really crappy diet...and really, if your diet is for **** efforts should be made to rectify that vs supplementation.

    CoQ10 for example is readily available with a varied diet and deficiencies are pretty rare...it may be worth supplementing if you are on a statin or something, but barring that it's really not necessary. If you eat meat, poultry, or fish on a regular basis, you're doing just fine with your CoQ10 as these are the best natural sources of CoQ10. That said, CoQ10 is also found in nuts, seed, and oils. In addition, fruits and vegetables are rich in multiple antioxidants including CoQ10.

    TL/DR...forget the supplements and eat 4-6 servings of fruit and veg per day, get your lean proteins and healthy fats...good livin'
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I was taking COQ10 and it lowered my blood pressure so low I was having black outs. I stopped taking it and it came right back up to 110/65.

    Long story short, if you have high blood pressure, try it.

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