Antioxidants - Should You Consider a Supplement?

For the last 20 years there has been a buzz about antioxidant vitamins such as vitamins A, C and E. They have received considerable attention both in the news and in the medical community as a possible way to reduce your risk of heart disease and also cancer. Now we have had time to examine the results of several large scale studies, what have we found? Have they lived up to their promise and should you take antioxidant supplements to your diet?

What are antioxidant vitamins and what do they do?
Antioxidants are a large group of compounds which are identified by their actions, some of the more familiar antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A). Antioxidants all act upon another group of compounds called free radicals. Free radicals are by-products which come from many normal events in the body. However they are incomplete molecules ? they are missing an electron. This makes them biologically active ? they are desperate to get the electron they need, and will attack anything nearby causing damage to vital components of the body. Smoking is believed to lead to an increased production of free radicals above normal levels.

Antioxidants have been shown to act by neutralizing, or ?scavenging? free-radicals, making them inactive and harmless.

Three antioxidant vitamins in particular play an important role in scavenging free radicals and those are vitamins C, E and beta-carotene.

Free radicals have been proposed to play a role in diseases such as heart disease, artery disease, cancer, arthritis and cataracts. So it is easy to see why antioxidants have received such attention.

There has been particular interest in the damaging effects of free radicals upon cholesterol (LDL) molecules which is a step along the pathway to atherosclerosis.

What does the research show?
Unfortunately, that is not an easy question. There have been several large studies investigating the preventative effects of taking antioxidant supplements and more are still in progress. The results so far have been paradoxical and unexpected. However one thing is clear - a healthy diet should contain adequate amounts of antioxidants which you will get from eating 2-3 servings of fruits and 3-5 servings of vegetables every day.

The question of the benefits from taking supplements is still confusing. Some studies have indicated a benefit, but the problem is that the results we have so far come from studies which have been performed in different groups under different circumstances. Some investigators have looked at populations of people at high risk of cardiovascular disease, while some have looked at the normal population. Some have examined the role of a diet high in antioxidants, while others have looked at the benefits of taking supplements. Even the studies looking at supplementation have examined different antioxidants.

Still questions remain
So with most of the data still not in, there are several questions which remain unanswered: is taking supplements beneficial? and also if so, how much? and what groups of people should be taking them? For example is the benefit just for those at a high risk of cardiovascular disease, or will everyone benefit? Another important issue is whether taking too much in the way of supplements can actually be damaging.

What should I do ? should I consider a supplement?
One thing is clear ? it is very important to eat a diet which is rich in antioxidants. The best way to do that is to consume plenty of fruit and vegetables and to vary your intake. 2-3 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables each day is recommended plus whole grains.

At present the evidence has not shown conclusively enough the benefits of antioxidant supplements to convince the American Heart Association to recommend that you take supplements.

If you do think that despite this recommendation that you wish to supplement your dietary supply of antioxidants, it is probably best to take a multivitamin which offers a range of antioxidants and nutrients, such as would be obtained from a healthy diet. This may be especially important if you are on a reduced calorie diet and do not feel you are getting enough from your diet alone.

Good dietary sources of antioxidants
The following are good dietary sources of antioxidants

Vitamin C

• Fruits such as: orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi fruit, guava
  
• Vegetables such as: red and green peppers, broccoli, potatoes, cabbage
  

Vitamin E Found largely in plants and plant oils (and margarines made from plant oils). Good sources include: corn oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sesame seed oil, nuts, seeds, olives.

Beta-carotene
Found in dark green or orange and yellow fruits and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and mango, papaya, cantaloupe and apricots.

Summary
The research into antioxidants provides more evidence that an essential element to healthy living and disease prevention is to eat a healthy diet. Make sure to eat 2-3 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables to ensure you are getting enough antioxidants in your diet. The evidence is still not strong enough to suggest you take antioxidant supplements, but if you are worried about your intake you may consider taking a multivitamin containing a balanced combination of antioxidants.