 The
Most Powerful Antioxidant - scientists still debate
Looking for the most powerful antioxidant is like finding a cure
for many diseases, there are a lot of thoughts out there, but none
has been conclusively identified. The importance of antioxidants
is not in dispute, but determining which one is the most powerful
antioxidant remains open to debate.
Antioxidant research
Researchers at Ohio State University, Dr. Jiyan Ma, a research
assistant professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry along
with David Cornwell, professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry
emeritus, took on the task of determining how well the often-touted
vitamin E works as an antioxidant. What they discovered, was that
vitamin E, seen as the most powerful antioxidant, actually can work
both ways.
DEFINITION OF ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants are chemicals that slow down or prevent the oxidation,
within living cells in the human body, that is caused by free radicals.
Oxidation, which involves adding oxygen to a chemical reaction within
a cell, may sound benign. While... (read more)
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Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant
They started with the knowledge that there are two forms of vitamin
E, also referred to as tocopherol. There is alpha vitamin E, which
comes from olive oil almonds and sunflower seed and gamma vitamin
E, found in corn and soy beans. They found the different types had
different reactions in the body and that gamma tocopherol actually
killed cells instead of protecting them.
The alpha tocopherol offered the benefits sought in the most powerful
antioxidant, and did not kill the cells. Their research was conducted
using animal cells from mice and monkeys and determined it made
no difference in the type of cells used, concluding that the most
powerful antioxidant in the form of gamma tocopherol was dangerous
to all types of different cells.
Other Best Antioxidants
Dr. Paul Ling Tai, at the Oakwood Medical Hospital in Detroit,
Michigan has found that by compounding certain natural known antioxidants,
he has formed the most powerful antioxidant for certain aspects
of health. For example, N-acetyl cysteine he considers the most
powerful antioxidant working against smoker’s cough and lung
fibrosis. Others he refers to as the most powerful antioxidant helps
with arthritis, preventing cancers, including prostate cancers.
Combination
of antioxidants is the most powerful
What appears to be common thread of all the research to find the
most powerful antioxidant is that it does not include just one particular
antioxidant. Rather it infers that the most powerful antioxidant
is the combinations found in fruits and vegetables extracted by
the body when eaten in sufficient portions. Recommendations had
been to receive antioxidant benefits a minimum of five servings
a day should be consumed, but new research indicates that benefits
will increase with nine servings a day, without added supplemental
sources.
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