Seanol, een nieuwe, zeer krachtige
anti-oxidant
Dr. Lee heeft een verrassende ontdekking
gedaan die weinig mensen, zelfs veel alternatieve gezondheidszorg artsen niet weten. Hij
en zijn team hebben een antioxidant gevonden die tot 100 keer sterker is dan de bekende
anti-oxidanten vitamine C en E, antioxidant-rijke vruchten zoals bosbessen, granaatappels
en zelfs groene thee anti-oxidanten
Link
Leendert
We roesten toch! Antioxidant
theorie gerevitaliseerd
De theorie dat ouder worden en bijvoorbeeld
de ziekte van Parkinson krijgen samenhangt met roesten van de weefsels, of versterkte
oxidatie is een oeroude in de alternatieve geneeskunde. Reden dat veel
natuurgeneeskundigen allerlei anti-oxidanten voorschrijven. Tot nu toe was er weinig steun
voor bijvoorbeeld hoge doseringen vitamine C, een natuurlijke oxidant. Nu, in het
decembernummer van de Archives of Neurology (2009) een revitalisatie van de
oxidantenhypothese bij de ziekte van Parkinson.
Link
Pers praat pers na over
antioxidanten
‘Anti-oxidanten helpen kanker
groeien', kopt de Volkskrant (20 augustus 2009). Het bericht eindigt evenwel met:
‘Onduidelijk is nog welke implicaties de laboratoriumvondst heeft voor
kankerpatiënten'. Het bericht suggereert tussen kop en staart dat antioxidanten
kankercellen helpen overleven en stelt dat hiermee ‘de optimistische boodschap dat
anti-oxidanten beschermen tegen kanker, definitief verlaten lijkt'.\
Link
Nano-sized "trojan
horse" to aid nutrition
Researchers from Monash University have designed a nano-sized "trojan
horse" particle to ensure healing antioxidants can be better absorbed by the human
body. Dr Ken Ng and Dr Ian Larson from the University's Faculty of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Sciences have designed a nanoparticle, one thousandth the thickness of a
human hair, that protects antioxidants from being destroyed in the gut and ensures a
better chance of them being absorbed in the digestive tract. Antioxidants are known to
neutralise the harmful effect of free radicals and other reactive chemical species that
are constantly generated by our body and are thought to promote better health. Normally
our body's own antioxidant defence is sufficient, but in high-risk individuals, such as
those with a poor diet or those at risk of developing atherosclerosis, diabetes or
Alzheimer's disease, a nutritional source of antioxidants is required.Dr Larson said
orally delivered antioxidants were easily destroyed by acids and enzymes in the human
body, with only a small percentage of what is consumed actually being absorbed.
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New research into plant colours
sheds light on antioxidants
Scientists have made an important advance in understanding the genetic processes
that give flowers, leaves and plants their bright colours. The knowledge could lead to a
range of benefits, including better understanding of the cancer-fighting properties of
plant pigments and new, natural food colourings. The research is highlighted in the new
issue of Business from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The scientists, at the John Innes Centre and Institute of Food Research in Norwich, have
pinpointed a key group of enzymes involved in the production of plant pigments. The
pigments, called anthocyanins, are what give some plants the vivid colours that they use
to attract insects and foraging animals. They also give plants protection against
environmental stresses and disease. Hundreds of different anthocyanins exist in nature,
all with slightly different chemical compositions. The international research team,
supported by BBSRC, identified the genes responsible for the enzymes which chemically
modify anthocyanins to alter their properties.
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Fresh fruits and vegetables retain
antioxidants long after purchase
The next time you think about throwing out those aging strawberries or very ripe
grapes, consider this: Belgian scientists report that fruits and vegetables do not lose
any antioxidant content in the days after purchase, even as tell-tale signs of spoilage
appear. In some cases, antioxidant levels actually rise.
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Study finds antioxidant deficiency
linked to pulmonary hypertension
recent study shows that a loss of antioxidants in the endothelial cells that line
blood vessels in the lungs contributes to the loss of vasodilator effects and, ultimately,
to the development of pulmonary hypertension. The findings appear in Clinical and
Translational Science. The study, led by Serpil Erzurum of the Cleveland Clinic, evaluated
antioxidant activities in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH),
a fatal disease characterized by progressive increase in pulmonary artery pressure and
vascular resistance. Erzurum's study found that the inactivation of these oxidants inside
the cell is achieved mainly by the cell's own line of defense against oxidants.
Additionally, the researchers determined that this process may contribute to low levels of
nitric oxide, identified in IPAH and a fundamental component in the pathogenesis of
pulmonary hypertension. According to Dr. Erzurum, there is a potential long-term benefit
to the care of patients with IPAH due to the study's findings. "Antioxidant
augmentation in patients might be used to increase nitric oxide vasodilator effects,
reduce pulmonary artery pressures and potentially improve clinical outcomes," she
said.
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Antioxidants reduce the toxic
effects of lead
A research study carried out by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
proves that administering natural antioxidants can reduce the effects of lead poisoning in
animals during the gestation and lactation periods. The study suggests that it could also
be effective in humans. In this study, published in the magazine Food and Chemical
Toxicology, the researchers aimed to prove that since the principal toxicity mechanism of
lead poisoning is that it creates free radicals that lead to cellular destruction;
administrating natural antioxidants could reverse this process and re-establish the
organism's lost balance. The results of the study are preliminary but they could be the
beginning of a possible therapeutic treatment to cure the disease. In order to prove their
theory, the researchers carried out an experiment using gestating mice that were separated
in to four different groups with different additives in their drinking water. The control
group was only subjected to purified water, the drinking water for the second group was
contaminated with lead, the drinking water for the third group was also contaminated with
lead, but the mice were also treated with antioxidants (zinc, vitamins A,C, E and B6) and
the fourth group was just treated with the antioxidants and uncontaminated water. The
research stemmed from the belief that the main cause of the toxicity of lead is the
oxidative stress, an imbalance between the antioxidants and the free radicals present in
an organism, leading to an excess of free radicals and a consequent destruction of
tissues. The results have concluded that such alterations, measured by evaluating various
biochemical changes in the brain of the baby mice, diminish in subjects subjected to lead
and treated with antioxidants, almost reaching the levels of the control group. The
symptoms of lead poisoning were also drastically reduced, reinforcing the theory that
administering antioxidants could be a very effective therapy.
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Andalusian researchers find out that
postwar food vecht is an important source of antioxidant activity
Researchers of Instituto de la Grasa (part of the Spanish National Research Council -CSIC)
and the Vegetal Biology and Ecology Department of the University of Seville have found out
that vetch is an important source of phenolic compounds with a high antioxidant activity.
It is a leguminous plant of the Fabeae family, very popular during the Spanish post-war as
a basic foodstuff. Currently, vetch is frequently grown in the Indian subcontinent, in
Ethiopia and surrounding countries, in the Mediterranean area and in South America. This
finding is paradoxical because its excessive consumption causes lathyrism, a disease of
the spinal cord. It has been published in the Food Science and Technology of the Swiss
Society of Food Science and Technology journal. For researchers, these results could open
a door to future alternative growings. Polyphenols are antioxidants that protect LDL's
from oxidation. They are absorbed in our body and appear in our blood and tissues through
fruits, vegetables and wine. Its consumption causes an increase of the antioxidant
capacity in the blood, which prevents oxidative stress, linked to diseases and the ageing
process. Researchers studied the content in polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of
the seeds of 15 species of Lathyrus in Andalusia: L. hirsutus, L. filiformis, L. sativus,
L. cicera, L. angulatus, L. sphaericus, L. annuus L. clymenum, L. pratensis, L. ochrus, L.
aphaca, L. latifolius, L. setifolius, L. tingitanus and L. amphicarpos. In this research
work, scientists noticed different proportions in the contents of the seeds polyphenols,
which fluctuated between 3.8 mg/g of flour in L. setifolius and 29.2 mg/g in the case of
L. sphaericus. Moreover there were higher contents of polyphenols in the smallest seeds
due to a higher amount of husk, which is richer in these compounds.
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Semen quality depends upon
antioxidants
Low antioxidant intake is associated with low reproductive capacity in semen. This is the
finding of a new study carried out in two infertility centres in Alicante and Murcia, and
which has been published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility. "Our previous
research study, published in March, showed that men who eat large amounts of meat and full
fat dairy products have lower seminal quality than those who eat more fruit, vegetables
and reduced fat dairy products. In this study, we have found that people who consume more
fruits and vegetables are ingesting more antioxidants, and this is the important
point", Jaime Mendiola, lead author of the article and a researcher at the University
of Murcia, tells SINC. The experts have spent the past four years analysing the link
between dietary habits or workplace exposure to contaminants and the quality of semen
among men attending fertility clinics. The objective was to find out whether a higher or
lower intake of vitamins, which act as antioxidants, could affect semen quality. These
molecules, which are present in foods such as citrus fruits, peppers and spinach, work by
lowering the level of oxidative stress that can affect semen quality, and improve sperm
concentration parameters as well as sperm mobility and morphology. The study was carried
out among 61 men, 30 of whom had reproductive problems, while the remaining 31 acted as
controls. "We saw that, among the couples with fertility problems coming to the
clinic, the men with good semen quality ate more vegetables and fruit (more vitamins,
folic acid and fibre and less proteins and fats) than those men with low seminal
quality", explains Mendiola. "A healthy diet is not only a good way of avoiding
illness, but could also have an impact on improving seminal quality. What we still do not
understand is the difference between taking these vitamins naturally and in the form of
supplements. In the studies we are going to carry out in the United States (where the
consumption of vitamins in tablet form is very common) we will be looking at the role of
supplements", the Spanish scientist continues.
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Plums poised to give blueberries
run for the money
There’s an emerging star in the super-food world. Plums are rolling down the food
fashion runway sporting newly discovered high levels of healthy nutrients, say scientists
at Texas AgriLife Research. Plainly, “blueberries have some stiff competition,”
said Dr. Luis Cisneros, AgriLife Research food scientist."Stone fruits are super
fruits with plums as emerging stars."
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Aston University to explore
anti-oxidant benefits of UK grown rosemary
The benefits of UK grown rosemary are set to be explored, and with it the potential to
create a new genre of renewable bio-based antioxidants. Polymer scientists at Aston
University in Birmingham, UK, have been awarded a £235,000 grant to develop a range of
antioxidants from the active natural ingredients present in rosemary. Synthetic
antioxidants, added to provide stability to products in areas as diverse as cosmetics,
food and drink packaging and car lubricants, help to prevent or reduce the formation of
active chemical species (free-radicals) that are responsible for the deterioration and
breakdown of organic materials. The damaging effects of free radicals are also often
linked to cancer and other degenerative conditions in the human body. The aim of the
research is to replace some of these synthetic antioxidants with rosemary-derived
antioxidants to add a natural and renewable source to products. This will also help
address potential issues relating to safety and toxicity in human-contact applications. Dr
Sahar Al-Malaika, Reader in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at Aston, who is a
pioneer on the use of vitamin E as an antioxidant in polymers, believes that this latest
research could prove as significant. They are studying UK grown rosemary in particular, as
evidence suggests the plant yields higher levels of antioxidants than those grown on the
continent.
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Boston College profs study
oxidative stress subcellular to discover its role in diseases
An interdisciplinary team of scientists from Boston College has found a means to discover
more about what role oxidative stress plays in the development of diseases by studying it
at the subcellular level. Oxidative stress is known to underlie many human diseases
including atherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
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Ripe fruit preferred
A team led by Bernhard Kraeutler at the University of Innsbruck has determined that the
breakdown of chlorophyll in ripening apples and pears produces the same decomposition
products as those in brightly-colored leaves. These colorless decomposition products are
highly active antioxidants.
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New insights into how natural
antioxidants fight fat
Scientists in Taiwan are reporting new insights into why diets rich in fruits and
vegetables reduce the risk of obesity. Their study, scheduled for the Oct. 17 (current)
issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication,
focuses on healthful natural antioxidant compounds called flavonoids and phenolic acids.
In the study, Gow-Chin Yen and Chin-Lin Hsu point out that large amounts of those
compounds occur in fruits, vegetables, nuts and plant-based beverages such as coffee, tea,
and wine. Scientists long have known that flavonoids and phenolic acids have beneficial
health effects in reducing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, obesity, and other
disorders. However, there has been uncertainty about exactly how these compounds affect
adipocytes, or fat cells.
The researchers studied how 15 phenolic acids and six flavonoids affected fat cells in
laboratory cultures of mouse cells. Their results showed that fat cells exposed to certain
antioxidants had lower levels of an enzyme that forms triglycerides and accumulated lower
levels of triglycerides — fatty materials which at high levels increase the risk of
heart disease. The findings suggest that these compounds could be effective in improving
the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms like obesity and high blood
sugar that increase the risk of heart disease, the researchers said.
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Antioxidants could provide
all-purpose radiation protection
Two common dietary molecules found in legumes and bran could protect DNA from the harmful
effects of radiation, researchers from the University of Maryland report. Inositol and
inositol hexaphosphate protected both human skin cells and a skin cancer-prone mouse from
exposure to ultraviolet B radiation, the damaging radiation found in sunlight, the team
reported today at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on
Translational Cancer Medicine.
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Antioxidants could help
Huntington’s Disease sufferers
Therapeutic strategies to strengthen antioxidant defences could help to prevent the
progression of Huntington’s Disease. This is the suggestion from the results of the
first ever trial on human samples carried out by researchers at the University of Lleida.
The results have been published in the latest issue of Free Radical Biology & Medicine
magazine. A study carried out by Catalan researchers shows that oxidative stress and
damage to certain macromolecules are involved in the progression of Huntington’s
Disease (HD), which is characterised by psychiatric and cognitive disturbance, involuntary
movements (chorea) and dementia. The research was carried out using human brain samples
obtained post mortem from people affected by HD, which were compared with samples from
control patients (C) who had died from unrelated illnesses or other causes. The two
cerebral areas most affected by this illness – the striate cortex and cortex –
were studied. The samples, which were provided by the tissue bank at the University of
Barcelona’s Institute of Neuropathology, were divided into HD-C group pairs based on
gender, age, and the length of time after death before the tissue had been removed.
“Bidimensional electrophoresis techniques were used to compare the differences
between the proteins present in the brains of the sick people and those of the
controls,” said Elisa Cabiscol, professor of biochemistry at the University of
Lleida, and one of the report’s authors. “The results showed that more than half
of these were enzymes related to antioxidant defence systems.” This study, which used
human samples for the first time and was funded by Spain’s Consolider-Ingenio 2010
Programme, found that the brain tissue from people suffering from HD had elevated levels
of proteins that eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals, as they are
more commonly known.
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Antioxidant product could fight
damage after exercise
A small study has reported that a protein powder mix of amino acids, vitamins and minerals
could help combat fatigue during a difficult workout.
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Native fruits bear sweet
antioxidants
The fruits - Kakadu plum, Illawarra plum, Burdekin plum, Davidson’s plum, riberry,
red and yellow finger limes, Tasmanian pepper, brush cherry, Cedar Bay cherry, muntries
and Molucca raspberry; were compared with blueberries (cultivar Biloxi) – a fruit
renowned for its high antioxidant properties.
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Reductive stress linked to heart
disease
Antioxidants are widely considered an important defense against heart disease, but
University of Utah researchers have found excessive levels of one antioxidant -- reduced
glutathione -- actually may contribute to the disease. The findings, published in the Aug.
10 issue of Cell, indicate a new class of drugs can be developed to treat or even prevent
heart disease caused by "reductive stress," according to Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D.,
the study's principal author.
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Antioxidant overload may underlie a
heritable human disease
Despite the popular notion that antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, offer
health-promoting benefits by protecting against damaging free radicals, a new study in the
Aug. 10 issue of the journal Cell reveals that, in fact, balance is the key. The
researchers show in mice that an overload of natural antioxidants can actually lead the
heart to failure.
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Antioxidants offer pain relief in
patients with chronic pancreatitis
Antioxidant supplementation was found to be effective in relieving pain and reducing
levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), reports a new study
in Gastroenterology. CP is a progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas in which
patients experience abdominal pain (in early stage) and diabetes and maldigestion (in late
stage). Pain is the major problem in 90 percent of patients with CP and currently, there
is no effective medical therapy for pain relief. Gastroenterology is the official journal
of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.
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Clemson chemists discover new way
antioxidants fight debilitating diseases
Debilitating diseases are often linked to DNA damage that occurs when metal ions in the
body produce reactive oxygen compounds that damage cells. Studies have shown antioxidants
that neutralize this activity and are found in fruits, vegetables, green tea, garlic and
onions can be effective at preventing damage. A Clemson team has found a new mechanism for
antioxidant activity: antioxidants bind to naturally present iron and copper to prevent
formation of compounds that damage DNA.
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Antioxidant to retard wrinkles
discovered by Hebrew University researcher
A new method for fighting skin wrinkles has been developed at the Hebrew University
Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences.“A problem with many
of the commercial antioxidants found today in the market that are said to retard the aging
process is that they oxidize quickly and therefore their efficiency declines with
time,” said Dr. Bossi. “Vitamin C, for example, oxidizes rapidly and is
sensitive to high temperatures. This is also true of the antioxidant EGCG which is found
in green tea, and vitamin E. As opposed to these, the antioxidant which I used in my
research is able to withstand high temperatures, is soluble in water, and does not oxidize
easily and thus remains effective over time.”
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Understanding how oxidative stress
impairs endothelial progenitor cell function
Researchers from the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research at the Indiana
University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children report in the Nov. 2008
issue of the journal Antioxidants & Redox Signaling that a review of the scientific
literature reveals that how endothelial progenitor cells respond to oxidantive stress
appears to be a critical determinant in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
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Button mushrooms contain as much
anti-oxidants as expensive ones
The humble white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) has as much, and in some cases, more
anti-oxidant properties than more expensive varieties. Although the button mushroom is the
foremost cultivated edible mushroom in the world with thousands of tonnes being eaten
every year, it is often thought of as a poor relation to its more exotic and expensive
cousins and to have lesser value nutritionally. But according to new research in
SCI’s Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, the white button mushroom has
as much anti-oxidant properties as its more expensive rivals, the maitake and the
matsutake mushrooms - both of which are highly prized in Japanese cuisine for their
reputed health properties including lowering blood pressure and their alleged ability to
fight cancer.
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