What are the most powerful antioxidants?

[SGM123]

What are the most powerful antioxidants?

This is a tough question to answer because most research on antioxidants has been performed in test tubes and not on humans.

For those new to antioxidants, antoxidants in our diet, such as Vitamins E, C, E, and selenium help in thwarting free radical damage, the damage that ages us and leads to disease states. Statistical analysis shows us that persons who eat diets high in antioxidants from fruits, veggies, legumes, grains, and nuts are more likely to have lower mortality rates and less cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Antioxidants, those tested in humans and demonstrating biological activity, are Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha-tocopherol which exhibits the most bio-potency in humans), Vitamin A (Beta-carotene) and the trace element Selenium. A fair and growing number of other antioxidants, owning test tube validity, exist. Some of them show outstanding power...in a test tube.

Let's look first at the four antioxidants that passed muster in human tests: Vitamin C, Vitamin A (Beta carotene), Vitamin E (Alpha-topocopheral). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water soluble vitamin that works in aqueous environment and also works along with Vitamin E to quench free radicals that damage and age. Vitamin C helps Vitamin E regenerate (Keeps it active in the body longer). Vitamin E (Alpha-topocopheral), a fat soluble vitamin, guards cell membranes from free radicals and protects low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) from oxidation. Vitamin A (beta-carotine) is a water-soluble vitamin that is believed to quench singlet oxygen and scavenge for free radicals. The trace element Selenium, only required in small quantities, helps form enzamatic antioxidant activity with several other antioxidants along with glutathione peroxidase. Two other trace elements manganese and zinc are key players in antioxidant enzamatic activity along with superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). These are our frontline troops in the battle with free radicals.

Besides vitamins, trace minerals, and enzymes, hundreds of compounds and nutrients contain antioxidant properties such as phytochemicals, COQ10, and uric acid. Here is list of the more powerful antioxidants, at least in test tubes:

Iodide
Melatonin
Astaxanthin
Lutein
Lycopene
Zeaxanthin
Apigenin
Proanthorcyanadins
Myricetin
Quercetin
Hesperitin
Naringenin
Catechin
Epigallocatechin
Daidzein
Genisten
Resveratrol
Pterostilbene
Anthocyananins
Cannabidiol (Non psychoactive)
Chlorogenic acid
Ferulic acid
Cinnamic acid
Ellegic acid
N-Acetylcysteine
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Billarubin
Uric acid

A Wickiapedia article on antioxidants:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_an ... ts_in_food


Http://www.emoclear.com

[spartak]

Very interesting list. From newer research it appears that many of the antioxidants do not only work by eliminating free radicals but also by activating certain cell signalling pathways. These complex activities have to do with many diseases. So the role of many of the antioxidants may not lie in their direct activity against free radicals but from other sectors not yet clearly understood

[dburkart]

Very interesting list. From newer research it appears that many of the antioxidants do not only work by eliminating free radicals but also by activating certain cell signalling pathways. These complex activities have to do with many diseases. So the role of many of the antioxidants may not lie in their direct activity against free radicals but from other sectors not yet clearly understood

Fascinating - it's incredible that a nutritional force our mothers have nagged us about for ages has many benefits yet to be discovered!