Antioxidants are phytochemicals, vitamins and other nutrients that protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals. In vitro en in vivo studies have shown that antioxidants help prevent free radical damage associated with cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants can be found in most fruits and vegetables, but also culinary herbs and medicinal plants contain high levels of antioxidants.
A study in 2006 by Thompson HJ showed that the botanical diversity of fruits and vegetables have a role in the biological effects of phytochemical antioxidants. Consumption in greater numbers phytochemicals can bring more health benefits from the consumption of fewer phytochemicals.
Benefits of antioxidants
A number of studies with plant phytochemicals show that phytochemicals with antioxidant activity can reduce the risk of cancer and improve heart health.
Antioxidants reduce cancer risk
Not all the results inconclusive, but many studies have shown that antioxidants can reduce cancer risk. A large randomized trial on antioxidants and cancer risk was carried Chinese Cancer Prevention Study (1993). This study shows that the combination of the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium significantly reduced incidence of cancer. However, the Alpha-Tocopherol / Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (1994) showed that the intake of beta-carotene increases lung cancer risk for male smokers.
Antioxidants protect the heart
Everyone knows that cholesterol causes heart disease and try to limit your intake of cholesterol. But more importantly fat accumulation of fat in the arteries is the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. The use of dietary antioxidant supplements may reduce the risk of heart disease, but there is no hard evidence. At this stage, the study only shows that the intake of natural foods rich in antioxidants to reduce this risk.
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