Antioxidants - Oxidative Stress
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Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress
General Information
NEWS:
Adding Walnuts To Good Diet May Help Older People Improve Motor And Behavioral Skills “Adding a moderate, but not high, amount of walnuts to an otherwise healthy diet may help older individuals improve performance on tasks that require motor and behavioral skills, according to an animal model study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists. Walnuts contain polyphenols and other antioxidants and essential fatty acids.”
Antioxidant Found In Berries, Other Foods Prevents UV Skin Damage That Leads To Wrinkles “The researchers say the results demonstrate that ellagic acid works to prevent wrinkle formation and photo-aging caused by UV destruction of collagen and inflammatory response.”
Antioxidant Supplements Blunt Exercise-Induced Improvement of Insulin Sensitivity “Comment: Surprisingly, use of antioxidant supplements blunts the beneficial effects of regular exercise on insulin sensitivity, even though diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables (and, thus, contain high concentrations of antioxidants) lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Overall, little evidence of benefit from regular use of vitamin C or E supplements exists, and this study offers one reason to discourage their use and to encourage diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables.”
Antioxidants Abound in Cereals, Popcorn, Whole-Grain Snacks “Whole grains are the main source of polyphenols in breakfast cereals, and since nearly all cereals contain at least some whole grains, it stands to reason that consumers should consider making cereals a regular part of their diet, said Vinson, adding that he received no food industry funding for his study. "Early researchers thought the fiber was the active ingredient for these benefits in whole grains -- the reason why they may reduce the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease," Vinson noted. "But recently, polyphenols emerged as potentially more important. Breakfast cereals, pasta, crackers and salty snacks constitute over 66 percent of whole grain intake in the U.S. diet," he added. "We found that, in fact, whole-grain products have comparable antioxidants per gram to fruits and vegetables," Vinson said. "This is the first study to examine total phenol antioxidants in breakfast cereals and snacks, whereas previous studies have measured free antioxidants in the products." Polyphenols occur naturally in plants and are the most abundant antioxidant. They have anti-inflammatory properties, and scientists believe they may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and other illnesses. Nutritionists have recommended regular consumption of green tea, red wine, fruits, nuts and a few other food categories for their antioxidant content. Vinson found that cereals containing whole-grain corn or oats contained the most polyphenols, roughly 0.2 percent by weight per box. Wheat-based cereals contained an average of 0.07 percent polyphenols, and rice cereals contained the lowest amount, at 0.05 percent. Raisin bran had the most polyphenols -- 3 percent by weight; however, Vinson attributed the concentration to the raisins -- like other dried fruits, a known rich source of antioxidants. Another high-ranking cereal was a wheat-based blend containing the polyphenol-rich spice cinnamon. Vinson declined to name the brands he tested, but he encouraged people to add nuts, raisins and various spices like cinnamon to their cereal to boost their polyphenol content. As for snacks, Vinson found that popcorn had the most polyphenols (2.6 percent), followed by whole-grain crackers (0.45 percent). Sadly, most processed tortilla chips -- Vinson's favorite -- contained negligible amounts of polyphenols.”
Antioxidants Blunt Exercise Benefit, Study Shows “Exercise helps increase insulin sensitivity and ward off diabetes, but taking supplemental antioxidants such as vitamins C and E actually blunts that benefit, researchers report. Exercise helps increase the body's sensitivity to insulin by making reactive oxygen species, or "free radicals," which antioxidants work against. These free radicals are thought to damage cells and speed the aging process, but they are also used by the body to prevent cell damage after exercising, the researchers say. "When you exercise you do improve your insulin sensitivity, and if you are at risk for diabetes improving insulin sensitivity is good," said researcher Dr. C. Ronald Kahn, the Mary K. Iacocca Professor at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School. Part of the reason that exercise improves insulin sensitivity is that it causes oxidative stress on the muscles. The muscles respond to this stress by creating free radicals, Kahn said. "If you take antioxidants like vitamins C and E, you block the oxidative stress response, but you also block the beneficial effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity," he said. The report is published in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”
Forget The Antioxidants? Researchers Cast Doubt On Role Of Free Radicals In Aging “The researchers hasten to point out that they are not suggesting that oxidative stress is good for you. "ROS undoubtedly cause damage to the body," Hekimi said. "However, they do not appear to be responsible for aging."”
Semen Quality May Depend Upon Antioxidants In Man's Diet “Low antioxidant intake is associated with low reproductive capacity in semen. This is the finding of a new study carried out in two infertility centres in Spain (in Alicante and Murcia) and which has been published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility. "Our previous research study, published in March, showed that men who eat large amounts of meat and full fat dairy products have lower seminal quality than those who eat more fruit, vegetables and reduced fat dairy products. In this study, we have found that people who consume more fruits and vegetables are ingesting more antioxidants, and this is the important point", Jaime Mendiola, lead author of the article and a researcher at the University of Murcia, tells SINC. “
ARTICLES:
Commentary: oxidative stress reconsidered. (Genes Nutr. 2009)
JOURNAL ARTICLES:
Age-related macular degeneration and antioxidant vitamins: re cent findings. (Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009)
Antioxidants and allergic disease: a case of too little or too much? (Clin Exp Allergy. 2009)
Antioxidants Reverse Age-Related Collateral Growth Impairment. (J Vasc Res. 2009)
[Anti-oxidants, controversies and perspectives: How can the failure of clinical studies using anti-oxidants be explained?] (J Soc Biol. 2009)
Changes in Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Italian Extra-Virgin Olive Oils during Storage (Journal of Food Science 2009) “The Mediterranean diet, which is largely vegetarian in nature, includes the consumption of noticeable amounts of extravirgin olive oil. To be an extra-virgin olive oil, it must be obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions that do not lead to alteration in the oil and without any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation, or filtration (EC Reg. 1513/2001). … “
Comparison of lifelong and late life exercise on oxidative stress in the cerebellum (Neurobiology of Aging 2009) “The results indicate that lifelong exercise attenuates multiple molecular markers of age-related oxidative damage in the cerebellum. In addition, modest exercise initiated late in life can have a beneficial effect on lipid oxidation and motor function.”
Fruit and vegetable consumption and its relation to markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in adolescents. (J Am Diet Assoc. 2009) “CONCLUSION: Study results show that the beneficial effects of fruit and vegetable intake on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress are already present by early adolescence and provide support for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans "to consume five or more servings per day" of fruits and vegetables to promote beneficial cardiovascular health.”
High Oxidative Stress Is Correlated with Frailty in Elderly Chinese. (J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009)
Neurotoxic Effects of Methamphetamine. (Neurochem Res. 2009) “Results showed that methamphetamine caused significant generation of reactive oxygen species and decreased complex I activity in the mitochondria leading to dopamine depletion in the striatum.”
Serum Antioxidants and Skin Cancer Risk: An 8-Year Community-Based Follow-up Study. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009) “CONCLUSION: Relatively high serum selenium concentrations are associated with an approximately 60% decrease in subsequent tumor incidence of both BCC and SCC, whereas serum concentrations of carotenoids or alpha-tocopherol are not associated with later skin cancer incidence. A possible U-shaped association between serum selenium concentrations and SCC of the skin needs confirmation.”
What is Important to Prevent Oxidative Stress? A Theoretical Study on Electron-Transfer Reactions between Carotenoids and Free Radicals. (J Phys Chem B. 2009)
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