2025
 


Free-radical Scavengers

Antioxidants are substances that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures.

Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that are naturally formed when you exercise and when your body converts food into energy.

If the body cannot process and remove free radicals efficiently, oxidative stress can result. This can harm cells and body function. Free radicals are also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative stress is thought to play a role in a variety of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and eye diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Factors that increase the production of free radicals in the body can be internal, such as inflammation, or external, for example, pollution, UV exposure, and cigarette smoke.

Antioxidants Benefits

Antioxidants can protect against the cell damage that free radicals cause, known as oxidative stress.

Activities and processes that can lead to oxidative stress include:

  • mitochondrial activity
  • excessive exercise
  • tissue trauma, due to inflammation and injury
  • ischemia and reperfusion damage
  • consumption of certain foods, especially refined and processed foods, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, and certain dyes and additives
  • smoking
  • environmental pollution
  • radiation
  • exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides and drugs, including chemotherapy
  • industrial solvents
  • ozone

Such activities and exposures can result in cell damage.

This, will lead to:

  • an excessive release of free iron or copperions
  • an activation of phagocytes, a type of white blood cell with a role in fighting infection
  • an increase in enzymes that generate free radicals
  • a disruption of electron transport chains

All these can result in Oxidative Stress.

The damage caused by oxidative stress has been linked to cancer, atherosclerosis, and vision loss. It is thought that the free radicals cause changes in the cells that lead to these and possibly other conditions.



An intake of antioxidants is believed to reduce these risks.

According to  one study : “ Antioxidants act as radical scavenger, hydrogen donor, electron donor, peroxide decomposer, singlet oxygen quencher, enzyme inhibitor, synergist, and metal-chelating agents .”

Other research  has indicated  that antioxidant supplements may help reduce vision loss due to age-related  macular degeneration  in older people.

Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health 

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Free radicals and antioxidants in normal physiological functions and human disease

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Importance of iron chelation in free radical-induced oxidative stress and human disease

 Curr Pharm Des. 2011;17:3460–73,Jomova K, Valko M.

How can antioxidants benefit our health

Medical News Today, May 29, 2018,  Megan Ware, RDN, L.D.  Medically reviewed by  Natalie Olsen, R.D., L.D., ACSM EP-C .

Antioxidants in health and disease

J Clin Pathol. 2001;54:176–86,Young IS, Woodside JV.

The importance of antioxidants which play the role in cellular response against oxidative/                                

/nitrosative stress

Nutrition Journal  volume 15, Article number: 71 (2015),Ergul Belge Kurutas