Antioxidants 101

Oxygen is undeniably necessary for all life. It’s a no brainer. Unfortunately, it is also a highly reactive element and somewhat of a double edged sword!  

Approximately 5% of metabolised Oxygen will be reduced into O₂ derived free radicals (AKA Reductive Oxygen Species or ROS) such as Hydroxyl and Nitric Oxides, Hydrogen Peroxides, or Super Peroxide (1).

These free radicals are by nature, very unstable and so begin borrowing electrons from neighbouring, positively charged, otherwise stable molecules to re-gain stability (a neutral valency) and in doing so, de-stabilise these molecules. This process continues until there is cellular destabilisation and eventual damage referred to as oxidative stress.  

So why is this important?

Because oxidative stress in the long term can lead to disease, damaged proteins and DNA and even cellular mutations (i.e. cancers)!

So what can we do to prevent oxidative stress in the body you ask?

This is where antioxidants come into the picture!

Antioxidants are compounds and molecules that have a stabilising effect on these free radicals, halting the chain of electron stealing, and preventing cellular disruption and damage (2).

The balance between the amounts of oxidative stress vs the amount of antioxidant activity present to halt this stress will largely dictate your longevity of cellular life and eventually, your own!

Dietary Sources of Antioxidants

Antioxidants can come in several forms and stimulate several pathways. From dietary sources such as polyphenol bearing ‘superfoods’, to much those that stimulate more potent pathways such as NRF-2 activation (see my next article, Advanced Antioxidants).

There is more than one way to slow oxidative stress on the body.

So what are some common dietary sources you can start adding to your meal prep?

Take Home

An antioxidant is a molecule stable enough to donate an electron to a nearby Reactive Oxidative Species (ROS) and thus prevent further destabilisation and oxidative stress (1).

These antioxidant bearing foods tend to have a one to one ratio of electron donation and thus can typically stabilise equal parts of the ROS to the amount of these foods present in your diet (1-3).  

So to summarise with a practical message you can utilise in day to day life, the balance of oxidative stress and the quantity of antioxidant bearing fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds ,spices and herbs in your diet will dictate how much rampant oxidative stress is left unchecked in your body in the long term.

By making a conscious effort to add a variety of foods in the table above to your daily nutrition plan, you will slowly shift the tide between free radicals and antioxidant activity in the body, making you feel the world better in the process!