ANTIOXIDANTS

By Joseph Hazan,M.D., FACOG

Antioxidants counter the oxidative harm

caused by reactive oxygen

species which are damaging to the cells in

your body.

Oxidative stress

is caused by normal oxidative metabolism

by giving rise to free radicals

which create the changes characteristic

of aging.

Some of this is natural and some of it is

due to extrinsic factors such

as smoking, exposure to sun rays and

ultraviolet radiation, cold, heat,

smog, dust, faulty diet, exercise,

sleep habits, stress and disease.

The most visible effect of aging is

skin aging, sagging and wrinkles.

This is aggravated by solar UV radiation

by exposure to sun and

is called photoaging.

Daily exposure to sun especially to UVB rays

is damaging to skin.

UVA also causes damage deeper and is 20 fold

higher especially during the summer.

The damage due to oxidative stress in

your body causes the cells to

lose normal functioning of mitochondria,

DNA, ribosomes, electrone

transport, telomere repair.

This can lead to inflammatory response,

cell membrane damage and can

cause impaired immune response

and cancer.

ANTIOXIDANTS help minimize this

damage by interaction or elimination

of free radicals or reactive oxygen

species or their by-products.

The following are the best known

antioxidants:

Ascorbic acid also known as Vitamin C

Tocopherols and Tocotrienols known

as Vitamin E

Lipoic Acid

SOD -superoxide dismutases,

catalase and quinone reductase

GSH -glutathione enzymes peroxidases,

reductase and S-transferases

 NAC: N- acetyl cysteine

(by increasing GSH levels in tissues)

Quercetin

Phloretin

Silymarin

Curcuminoids

Isothiocyanates (Sulforaphane)

Nordihydroguiaretic Acid

Green tea polyphenols

Plant Polyphenols

Ubiquinone (Co Q10) also known as

Co-enzyme Q 10

Carotenoids(Lycopene, Lutein/Zeaxanthine,

Vitamin A)

Resveratrol

The sources and specific effects of

these will be addressed tomorrow.