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Article resource - WebMD
To see complete article- http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107639.htm
Part 1: How
Antioxidants Work | Part 2: Healthful Teas | Part 3: Vital Vegetables |
Part 4: Super Fruits
An apple slice turns brown. Fish becomes rancid. A cut on your skin is raw
and inflamed. All of these result from a natural process called oxidation.
It happens to all cells in nature, including the ones in your body.
To help your body protect itself from the rigors of oxidation, Mother Nature
provides thousands of different antioxidants in various amounts in fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. When your body needs to put up
its best defense, especially true in today's environment, antioxidants are
crucial to your health.
Here's how oxidation works. As oxygen interacts with cells of any type - an
apple slice or, in your body, the cells lining your lungs or in a cut on
your skin -- oxidation occurs. This produces some type of change in those
cells. They may die, such as with rotting fruit. In the case of cut skin,
dead cells are replaced in time by fresh, new cells, resulting in a healed
cut.
This birth and death of cells in the body goes on continuously, 24 hours a
day. It is a process that is necessary to keep the body healthy. "Oxidation
is a very natural process that happens during normal cellular functions,"
researcher Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor of nutrition at Tufts
University in Boston, tells WebMD.
Yet there is a downside. "While the body metabolizes oxygen very
efficiently, 1% or 2% of cells will get damaged in the process and turn into
free radicals," he says.
"Free radicals" is a term often used to describe damaged cells that can be
problematic. They are "free" because they are missing a critical molecule,
which sends them on a rampage to pair with another molecule. "These
molecules will rob any molecule to quench that need," Blumberg says.
The Danger of Free Radicals
When free radicals are on the attack, they don't just kill cells to acquire
their missing molecule. "If free radicals simply killed a cell, it wouldn't
be so bad… the body could just regenerate another one," he says. "The
problem is, free radicals often injure the cell, damaging the DNA, which
creates the seed for disease."
When a cell's DNA changes, the cell becomes mutated. It grows abnormally and
reproduces abnormally -- and quickly.
Normal cell functions produce a small percentage of free radicals, much like
a car engine that emits fumes. But those free radicals are generally not a
big problem. They are kept under control by antioxidants that the body
produces naturally, Blumberg explains.
External toxins, especially cigarette smoke and air pollution, are "free
radical generators," he says. "Cigarette smoke is a huge source of free
radicals." In fact, our food and water also harbor free radicals in the form
of pesticides and other toxins. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol also
triggers substantial free radical production.
Free radicals trigger a damaging chain reaction, and that's the crux of the
problem. "Free radicals are dangerous because they don't just damage one
molecule," Blumberg explains. "One free radical can set off a whole chain
reaction. When a free radical oxidizes a fatty acid, it changes that fatty
acid into a free radical, which then damages another fatty acid. It's a very
rapid chain reaction."
These external attacks can overwhelm the body's natural free-radical defense
system. In time, and with repeated free radical attacks that the body cannot
stop, that damage can lead to a host of chronic diseases, including cancer,
heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
Oxidative damage in skin cells is caused by cumulative sunlight. But if free
radicals are in an internal organ - for example, if asbestos is in your
lungs -- it stimulates free radical reactions in lung tissue. "Cigarette
smoke has active free radical generators," says Blumberg. That's why
stopping smoking is the biggest step anyone can take to preserving their
health.
Page: 1 |
2 Next: Antioxidants to the Rescue-
In the 21st century, people need to get more antioxidants in their diet to offset all these assaults, he says. "These toxins are ubiquitous in the environment. If you live in a city, you breathe the air. The oxidative burden [on the body] is much, much, much higher than it was 200 years ago. It's a fact of modern life, so we have to take that into consideration."
When you follow the USDA's advice to eat multiple servings of fruits and vegetables, you're compensating for the effects of environmental toxins. Your body simply doesn't produce enough antioxidants to do all that, says Blumberg.
What exactly do they do? Antioxidants work to stop this damaging, disease-causing chain reaction that free radicals have started. Each type of antioxidant works either to prevent the chain reaction or stop it after it's started, Blumberg explains.
"For example, the role of vitamin C is to stop the chain reaction before it starts," he says. "It captures the free radical and neutralizes it. Vitamin E is a chain-breaking antioxidant. Wherever it is sitting in a membrane, it breaks the chain reaction."
Flavonoids are the biggest class of antioxidants. Researchers have identified some 5,000 flavonoids in various foods, Blumberg tells WebMD. Polyphenols are a smaller class of antioxidants, which scientists often refer to as "phenols." (Terms like phytonutrient and phytochemical are more generic terms that researchers sometimes use to describe nutrients and chemicals in plants.)
"We have clear science about antioxidants, that our bodies need a Natural Antioxidant Defense Network, for lack of a better term," Blumberg says. "Just like a country needs a military system, the human body needs defense workers at all levels -- lieutenants, corporals, generals, staff sergeants - in the form of antioxidants."
The body needs a mix of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene, to neutralize this free radical assault.
"We can't rely on a few blockbuster foods to do the job," says Blumberg. "You can't eat nine servings of broccoli a day and expect it to do it all. We need to eat many different foods. Each type works in different tissues of the body, in different parts of cells. Some are good at quenching some free radicals, some are better at quenching others. When you have appropriate amounts of different antioxidants, you're doing what you can to protect yourself."
Multivitamins and vitamin supplements can provide the body with an antioxidant boost. Yet getting too much of some supplements, like vitamin E, can be harmful. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts contain complex mixes of antioxidants, and therein lies the benefit of eating a variety of healthy foods, says Blumberg.
Researchers continue delving into the mysteries of fruits and vegetables, identifying the complex antioxidants they contain. Quercetin, luteolin, hesperetin, catetchin, even (-)-epigallocetechin are some of the stars they have found -- the blockbuster flavonoids in our foods. See - THE NINETEEN FRUIT BLEND "Sure, you can live your whole life without getting epicatechin 3-gallate, a flavonoid found in huge quantities in green tea," says Blumberg. "But if having it in your diet promotes better health, why not try it?"
WebMD-Published April 22, 2005.
Part 3: Vital Vegetables
The lowly bean has been boosted to star status. A ground-breaking study that looked at numerous foods says beans - red, black, pinto, kidney -- are high-octane sources of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are the disease-fighting compounds that Mother Nature puts in foods to help our bodies stay healthy, explains researcher Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston. "Our job is to take advantage of those antioxidants."
The USDA guidelines recommend eating a variety of fruits and vegetables each day, selecting from all five vegetable subgroups: dark green vegetables, legumes (beans), starchy vegetables, orange vegetables, and other vegetables. They also suggest eating at least two and a half cups of vegetables daily for people eating 2,000 calories.
Which of these are the best antioxidant foods? Researchers used advanced technology to study 100 fruits, vegetables, and other food sources to measure the levels of antioxidants. Beans were the clear winners, but so was a quirky mix of other veggies - artichoke hearts, russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, and eggplant.
Knowing which foods have the most antioxidants is important, because in today's polluted world, the human body needs all the help it can get to fight disease-causing free radicals. That's what antioxidants do - stop free radicals from damaging other cells in your body.
The biggest class of antioxidants is flavonoids. Researchers have identified some 5,000 different flavonoids fruits and vegetables, explains Ronald Prior, PhD, a chemist and nutritionist with the USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Ark. He authored the groundbreaking antioxidant measure study.
Yet the body simply doesn't absorb all flavonoids equally well - that is, not all are as bioavailable as others. "Bioavailability has to do with absorption or metabolism in the gut, a process we know very little about," Prior says.
Here's the science behind it: An antioxidant attached to a fiber or sugar molecule may require certain enzymes in the gut to help absorption, he explains. If those enzymes are there, the flavonoid is absorbed. Some flavonoids simply don't seem to get absorbed. It's still relatively a mystery what happens in the gut, Prior notes.
Cooking some vegetables even slightly can help boost bioavailability, Prior says. "Tomatoes are a classic example. Flavonoids in cooked tomatoes are better absorbed than raw tomatoes. We don't know for sure what's happening in the gut, but we do know this is true."
However, cooking is not always good. It kills antioxidants in some foods, he says. Until researchers figure it out, "aim to eat those at the higher end of the antioxidant chart," says Prior.
The Antioxidant Winner: Beans
Prior's study found beans to be clear winners - one-half cup of red beans yields 13,727 antioxidants; red kidney beans have 13,259; pinto beans, 11,864; and black beans, 4,191. Beans are inexpensive and filling. Classic meals such as beans and rice, beans in a burrito, split pea soup, and a peanut butter sandwich are bean naturals. (Peanuts are not nuts; they are in the same family of plants as beans and peas.)
One-third cup of cooked beans has 80 calories, no cholesterol, lots of complex carbohydrates, and little fat. In addition, beans are full of B vitamins, potassium, and fiber, which promote digestive health and relieve constipation. Eating beans may help prevent colon cancer and reduce blood cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease, researchers say.
Beans are also a great protein source, says Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director of nutrition therapy at The Cleveland Clinic, and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "We used to say that you needed to eat grains with beans to make it a complete protein, but we no longer think that's true," she tells WebMD. "If you get some grains sometime during the day, you'll get the benefit of complete protein."
If beans bother your digestive system, try canned beans, she adds. Also, there's Beano, an enzyme supplement that breaks down gas-producing substances in the beans. Drinking more fluids also helps, as does regular exercise. Both help your intestinal system handle the increased dietary fiber.
"To sneak beans into your diet, one really easy thing is to put them in vegetable salads," Moore says. "If you're into convenience, mix some canned beans with canned soup or with a frozen entrée. You don't have to use all the beans in the can. Just scoop out what you want, rinse them, and keep the rest in the canned juice." Frozen beans work well, too.
Among the other non-bean antioxidant stars Prior's research uncovered include:
Steamed artichoke hearts (7,904)
Baked russet potatoes (4,649)
Raw spinach (1,056)
Baked sweet potatoes (1,199)
Eggplant (1,039)
For a sample of what happens during cooking, note how the antioxidant levels change for some foods:
Raw asparagus (2,021), steamed asparagus (1,480)
Raw red cabbage (788), cooked red cabbage (2,350),
Raw yellow onions (823), cooked yellow onions (1,281)
Raw broccoli (700), cooked broccoli (982)
Raw tomatoes (552), cooked tomatoes (415)
Artichoke hearts are available in cans and jars, and are great in salads. "Some of the tastiest ones are loaded with oil, which means you get lots of fat and calories," Moore points out. "So just use a little. You don't have to have the entire jar. Think small, maybe one or two artichoke hearts, since they're so packed with antioxidants." Using canned artichokes in water or frozen, precooked artichoke hearts will help you rein in the extra calories, she adds.
To get more spinach in your diet, add chopped fresh spinach or frozen spinach to soups. Use fresh spinach in sandwiches instead of lettuce. Or make a pesto from spinach and walnuts, Moore suggests.
But don't stop with these star veggies, Moore advises. "Don't overlook all the others, with all their own special benefits. Each has its own unique nutritional footprint. Some have more fiber or different arrays of vitamins and minerals. By mixing them up, you're going to enhance what you're getting nutritionally."
WebMD-Published April 22, 2005.
SOURCES: Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor of nutrition, Tufts University, Boston. Ronald Prior, PhD, research chemist/nutritionist, USDA, Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, Ark. Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director of nutrition therapy, The Cleveland Clinic. Wu, X. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, June 9, 2004; vol 52: pp 4206-4037.
Antioxidant-Loaded Fruits
Berries are the top antioxidant-rich fruits. But don't forget peaches, plums, and a little red wine.
Fruits, especially berries, are chock-full of the disease-fighting antioxidants essential to your health.
Part 4: Super Fruits
Berries are the crown jewels of summer, the gems that inspire pies, parfaits, cobblers, ice cream treats, and whipped cream wonders. Best of all, berries deliver super-healthy antioxidants that help fight disease. How healthy? A landmark study shows that just one cup of berries provides all the disease-fighting antioxidants you need in a single day. Of course, dietitians will tell you, "Don't stop there." A healthy diet needs a variety of nutrients from many food sources.
See - THE NINETEEN FRUIT BLEND
Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are plentiful in most corners of the U.S. "Berries are available almost year-round now…and even though they may be more expensive some times of the year, they're still much more accessible than they used to be," says Cindy Moore, MS, RD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and director of nutrition therapy at The Cleveland Clinic.
Berries and other foods figured in a major study published in the June 9, 2004, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. This research provides the largest, most comprehensive report thus far of antioxidant content in fruits and vegetables. Berries won, hands down, in providing the most antioxidant bang for the buck.
Antioxidants are important disease-fighting compounds. Scientists believe they help prevent and repair the stress that comes from oxidation, a natural process that occurs during normal cell function. A small percentage of cells becomes damaged during oxidation and turns into free radicals, which can start a chain reaction to harming more cells and possibly disease. Unchecked free radical activity has been linked to cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
This newest study used updated technology to assess antioxidant levels in more than 100 foods, including fruits, vegetables, cereals, breads, nuts, and spices.
Cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries ranked highest among the fruits studied. Apples ran a close second, and dried fruits were also leading contenders. Peaches, mangos, and melons, while scoring lower than berries, still contain plenty of antioxidants as well as other nutrients.
However, there's a catch: Even though some fruits and vegetables have a high antioxidant content, the body does not absorb all of it. The concept is called bioavailability, explains researcher Ronald Prior, PhD, a chemist and nutritionist with the USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Ark. He authored the landmark antioxidant study.
"Bioavailability has to do with absorption or metabolism in the gut," Prior explains. "What's absorbed will be impacted by the mechanical structure of different antioxidants in food -- if they're tied up with fiber or if they have sugar molecules attached."
Some foods benefit from a bit of cooking, he says. One of his studies showed that by mildly steaming blueberries, the antioxidant level was enhanced, making more antioxidants available to the body. "We really don't know much about this, especially with fruits," Prior tells WebMD.
That's why variety in your diet is important. You hedge your bets by eating as many antioxidant-rich foods as possible, since researchers don't yet fully understand the complexities involved with bioavailability. It's also why you should shoot for foods that offer the highest antioxidants, such as the top producers like berries, he says.
See - THE NINETEEN FRUIT BLEND
On the color wheel, the purple-blue-red-orange spectrum is home to the most antioxidant-rich fruits.
Wild blueberries are the winner overall. Just one cup has 13,427 total antioxidants - vitamins A & C, plus flavonoids (a type of antioxidant) like querticin and anthocyanidin. That's about 10 times the USDA's recommendation, in just one cup! Cultivated blueberries have 9,019 per cup and are equally vitamin-rich. Buying tip: Peak season starts in mid-May, so blueberries are less expensive during the summer.
Cranberries are the tart crown jewels of turkey feasts. They're also antioxidant powerhouses (8,983). To get cranberries after the holiday scene has passed, creative cooks sneak dried cranberries into risottos, salads, salsas, and trail mixes.
Blackberries (7,701), raspberries (6,058), strawberries (5,938), black plums (4,873), sweet cherries (4,873), and red grapes (2,016) are also brimming with vitamins A & C and flavonoids like catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, and anthocyanidin. Tossed into a green salad, these berries add extra color, flavor, and texture. They're also very edible by the handful, with morning cereal, mixed into yogurt, spooned over waffles or pancakes, and sprinkled over ice cream.
All-American apples are also vitamin- and antioxidant-rich treats. The classic Red Delicious (5,900), Granny Smith (5,381), Gala (3,903), and many other varieties are available nearly year-round. Applesauce, juice, and jellies are also tasty apple sources, but beware of added sugar (check the label). Here's a tip: Mix some chopped apple into a tuna salad for a sandwich.
Finally, orange-colored fruits are good sources of antioxidants as well. One naval orange has 2,540; the juice has about half that. Bite into a luscious ripe mango, and you'll get 1,653. A peach has 1,826, tangerines, 1,361, and pineapple, 1,229.
Fruit Antioxidants in Dried or Frozen Form
Dried versions of these fruits are smaller, but they still have plenty of antioxidants. For instance, just half a cup of these dried fruits packs quite a punch: prunes (7,291), dates (3,467), figs (2,537), and raisins (2,490). Some people prefer the taste or texture of certain dried fruits over fresh ones. Dried cranberries are a prime example; they tend to be much less tart than the fresh variety.
When buying dried fruit, check the label for added sugar and portion size. "One thing people don't realize is that portion size for dried fruit is fairly small, usually a quarter of a cup," Moore tells WebMD. "So it's very easy to overeat dried fruit, getting a lot more calories than you need. For people struggling with weight control, that can be too much of a good thing. If you eat the fruits in their natural form, they are very low in calories, very nutritious, full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and many, many antioxidants. The whole fruit helps keep you in line calorie-wise."
Also, frozen fruits are a good way to go, adds Moore. "Make sure you buy the ones without added sugar. Frozen berries are especially good for a smoothie, where texture and appearance doesn't matter. Also, they're good over ice cream or cake, when you're dishing and serving them fairly soon out of the bag. If you wait too long after they've thawed, they're going to get fairly soggy."
More than 300 studies cite plentiful antioxidants in red wine, grape juice, grape seed, and grape skin extracts. Red wine is loaded with flavonoids like anthocyanidins and catechins. Studies show that when animals are given grape products (the study did not specify which products) the artery-clogging process slows down. The same thing seems to happen with humans, Prior says.
This is at the heart of what's known as the French paradox, a theory that emerged in the 1990s. French people have lower rates of heart attacks despite the rich cuisine they eat because they drink moderate amounts of red wine with their meals.
Many of the same flavonoids are found in black and green tea as well as dark chocolate, but the bulk of research has been on grape flavonoids. Researchers say that flavonoids may help promote heart health by preventing blood clots (which can trigger a heart attack or stroke), prevent cholesterol from damaging blood vessel walls, improve the health of arteries (making them expand and contract more easily), and stimulating the production of nitric oxide, which may prevent hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
Another antioxidant called reservatrol, found in red grapes, raspberries, and mulberries, seems to affect age-regulated genes, allowing cells to live longer and offsetting the risk of cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
According to the American Heart Association, drinking a moderate amount of wine -- one or two glasses daily for men, no more than one for women -- lowers heart disease and may be safe. However, it cautions that this recommendation should be tailored for an individual's risks for heart disease and the potential benefits (as well as risks) of drinking.
Grape juice has similar antioxidant powers, researchers say. One study showed that drinking a tall glass of grape juice daily lowered LDL (also called "bad") cholesterol significantly. It also improved the blood flow in artery walls. Another point: You can drink all you want and drive home safely.
"A number of studies show that Concord grapes and grape juice have a higher concentration of antioxidants than ordinary table grapes," says Prior. "It's pretty clear-cut now about grape juice. In fact, one serving of grape juice has been shown to be the equivalent of taking a small aspirin every day, in terms of cardiovascular effects."
Just don't make the mistake of downing too much grape juice - or wine - in a day's time, says Moore. "Like dried fruit, these are very concentrated calories. Be careful, because those calories add up. It's better to eat more grapes."
WebMD-Published April 22, 2005.
MORE INFORMATION:
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