Antioxidant Supplements

About Antioxidant Supplements

Antioxidants are essential nutrients for human health maintenance and disease prevention. There are two main sources of antioxidants needed maintain a healthy metabolism and physical structure, which are endogenous and exogenous. These are the antioxidants we synthesize within our body, such as glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, and antioxidants we ingest through food or supplements, respectively. The enzymatic antioxidants that we synthesize also need cofactor nutrients. An example of this is superoxide dismutase requires zinc, copper and manganese to function properly. Antioxidants help to reduce the burden of oxidative stress, which if not quenched by antioxidants can lead to damaged proteins, lipids and DNA, contributing to disease states and perhaps even hastening the aging process.

Antioxidants are found in abundance in some common foods and are assessed by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Some of the highest foods on the ORAC scale are dark chocolate, pecan nuts and elderberries. Two to three squares of dark chocolate each day provides excellent antioxidant support and is a great source of minerals, such as magnesium. These foods help to reduce the burden of free-radicals, protecting the cells of our body and keeping us healthy. A quality diet contains a broad range of antioxidant-rich food, which are important for attaining optimal health and reducing the risk of preventable disease. It is also a good idea to include a range of different coloured foods in your diet, as different phytochemicals are responsible for different colours, with differing effects in the body. Therefore, different coloured foods means you are consuming different antioxidant compounds. And when it comes to antioxidants, variety is key.

Some antioxidants have close relationships within the body, in that they support the regeneration of each other. This is one reason why taking a broad range of antioxidants, rather than one single antioxidant in high doses, is a good idea. A classic example of this is the regeneration of glutathione sulfhydryl, which essentially requires, both indirectly and directly, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Lipoic Acid. Therefore, if we were to supplement with a lot of glutathione without support from these other antioxidants, we will end up with a lot of oxidised glutathione, which is basically glutathione that has "done its job". And too much oxidised glutathione may not be good for our health either. 

There is a natural synergism inherent within the biochemistry of the body, which means the sum of two can sometimes be greater than the total of them separately. For example, 1 + 1 (antioxidants taken individually) = 3 (taken together). This sum wouldn’t cut it for math class, but for biology it can be a winner. A little bit of synergism can go a long way when it comes to antioxidants. Some other great sources of antioxidants are green tea, olive leaf extract, quercetin (a bioflavonoid), astaxanthin (found in krill oil) and Ubiquinol.