Oxidative Stress Polyphenols and Flavonoids

-


 Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body that leads to cell damage. It plays a role in many conditions like cancer, Alzheimer's disease and heart disease. Toxins like pollution and cigarette smoke can cause oxidative stress, while foods rich in antioxidants can help reduce it. Oxidative stress is a phenomenon caused by an imbalance between production and accumulation of oxygen reactive species (ROS) in cells and tissues and the ability of a biological system to detoxify these reactive products. ROS can play, and in fact they do it, several physiological roles (i.e., cell signaling), and they are normally generated as by-products of oxygen metabolism; despite this, environmental stressors (i.e., UV, ionizing radiations, pollutants, and heavy metals) and xenobiotics (i.e., antiblastic drugs) contribute to greatly increase ROS production, therefore causing the imbalance that leads to cell and tissue damage (oxidative stress). Several antioxidants have been exploited in recent years for their actual or supposed beneficial effect against oxidative stress, such as vitamin E, flavonoids, and polyphenols. While we tend to describe oxidative stress just as harmful for human body, it is true as well that it is exploited as a therapeutic approach to treat clinical conditions such as cancer, with a certain degree of clinical success. In this review, we will describe the most recent findings in the oxidative stress field, highlighting both its bad and good sides for human health.

What are the causes of oxidative stress?

What causes oxidative stress?

Pollution in the environment around you.

Smoking and tobacco use.

Sun exposure.

Drinking too much alcohol.

Stress.

What does oxidative stress feel like?

Oxidative stress can lead to symptoms such as: Fatigue. Memory loss or brain fog. Muscle and/or joint pain 

What foods cause oxidation in the body?

Diets high in fat, sugar, and processed foods.

What deficiency causes oxidative stress?

Stress is implicated in various human diseases and conditions, such as a neurodegeneration, which is the major symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency

ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) are important molecules associated with oxidative stress caused by Zn deficiency.

What organ is affected oxidative stress?

Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in various pathological conditions, including hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, with high levels of oxidative stress in target organs such as the heart, pancreas, kidney, and lung

Identifying oxidative stress?‌

Oxidative stress is a bodily condition that happens when your antioxidant levels are low. These levels can be measured through your blood plasma.

Causes of Oxidative stress?

Overeating

Poor Diet

The effects of protein, fat, and sugar

Alcohol

Inflammation

Stress

Cigarette smoke

UV light.

 Disorder caused by oxidative stress?

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). - Oxidative stress impacts your cholesterol levels, which can lead to plaque buildup and vascular disease.

Vitamins for oxidative stress.

Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, often referred to as "antioxidant vitamins," have been suggested to limit oxidative damage in humans, thereby lowering the risk of certain chronic diseases.

HOW TO PREVENT OXIDATIVE STRESS

It is impossible to eradicate oxidative stress but the levels of antioxidants can be increased and the formation of free radicals decreased to combat it.

To prevent it, people, especially the elderly, can make sure they manage oxidative stress and increase their life expectancy by obtaining a lot of antioxidants from their diet, and by exercising. For example with a lot of fruits and vegetables.  A diet rich in antioxidants can help increase your blood antioxidant levels to fight oxidative stress, reduce the risk of these diseases, and to stay young.

Healthy Foods High in Antioxidants

  • Dark Chocolate – with high cacao content.
  • Nuts – Pecans
  • Blueberries and Red Berries
  • Artichokes – both petals and hearts
  • Chia seeds
  • Sweet Potato
  • Dark green vegetables such as Kale
  • Tea

Nevertheless, it is impossible to avoid exposure to oxidative damage completely. For older adults, it is necessary to take medical advice to prevent diseases in their bodies.

How to remove oxidative stress?

Eat a balanced diet: Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats to provide your body with essential nutrients and antioxidants. Quit smoking: Smoking introduces a high number of free radicals into your body. Stop smoking to significantly reduce oxidative stress.

Flavonoids:  Flavonoids are a class of natural compounds extensively present in foods of vegetal origin (fruits, oils, seeds, etc.) showing a good potential in terms of usefulness for human health, as antioxidant molecules but also because of some ancillary yet pharmacologically interesting properties. Nonetheless, they need to be managed carefully, and their supplementation into the diet (as diet enrichment or as nutraceuticals) have to take in account also some potential drawback concerning human health and wellness.

Polyphenols are a category of compounds naturally found in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, dark chocolate, and wine.

They can act as antioxidants, meaning they can neutralize harmful free radicals that would otherwise damage your cells and increase your risk of conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease (1Trusted Source).

Polyphenols are also thought to reduce inflammation, which is thought to be the root cause of many chronic illnesses (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

Types of polyphenols

More than 8,000 types of polyphenols have been identified. They can be further categorized into 4 main groups (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source):

  • Flavonoids. These account for around 60% of all polyphenols. Examples include quercetin, kaempferol, catechins, and anthocyanins, which are found in foods like apples, onions, dark chocolate, and red cabbage.
  • Phenolic acids. This group accounts for around 30% of all polyphenols. Examples include ferulic and chlorogenic acids in coffee and cereal grains.
  • Polyphenolic amides. This category includes capsaicinoids in chili peppers and avenanthramides in oats.
  • Other polyphenols. This group includes stilbenes in grapes and berries, resveratrol in red wine, ellagic acid in berries, curcumin in turmeric, and lignans in flax seeds, sesame seeds, and whole grains.

The amount and type of polyphenols in foods depend on the food, including its origin, ripeness, and how it was farmed, transported, stored, and prepared.

Polyphenol-containing supplements are available as well. However, they’re likely to be less beneficial than polyphenol-rich foods (6Trusted Source).





Comments

Post a Comment

I will like to hear your comments. Please leave a comment below

Popular posts from this blog

Exercise benefits to the brain 'may be passed on'

-
Image
Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Physical and mental exercise has been found to be beneficial for our brains, but scientists have now found it could also improve the learning ability of our children. In a mouse study, researchers found the benefits gained from these activities were passed on to their offspring, despite not altering their DNA. Further research is needed to see if this replicates in humans. The German study is being published in the journal  Cell Reports. Exercise is recommended to keep the mind sharp in the over-50s and doing puzzles and brain training exercises has been found to delay the onset of dementia and reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer's. Researchers from the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) found that when they exposed mice to a stimulating environment in which they also had plenty of exercise, their offspring which they had later also benefitted. The younger mice achieved better results in tests that evaluated the
Read more

Shed Yuletide Pound. Cabbage soup diet: Quick results?

-
Image
The cabbage soup diet, like most radical short-term diets, is not for everyone. Eating little but cabbage soup for seven days can produce amazing results, but it can also leave you feeling groggy, sluggish and unsatisfied. That said, if you’re looking to shed those holiday pounds or lose weight quickly before an important event, the cabbage soup diet promises a 10-pound weight loss in just one week. Success on the cabbage soup diet depends largely on the individual. Some may feel alienated by the boring and unappealing food selection, but others may find quick results to be motivating. It’s important to note that crash diets like this are not without health risks and should only be attempted under professional advisement. How it works With the cabbage soup diet, there is no calorie or carb counting and no recommended exercise regimen or lifestyle changes. Instead, the diet is based on a seven-day menu centered almost exclusively on a special cabbage-based s
Read more

Obesity 'biggest threat to women's health

-
Image
Obesity is the biggest threat to women's health and the health of future generations, warns England's chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies. Her annual report , which focuses on women this year, said tackling obesity should be a national priority to avert a "growing health catastrophe". She said the food industry needed to do more or it should face a sugar tax. Dame Sally is also calling for better treatment of ovarian cancer and more open discussion on incontinence. England's top doctor said obesity was so serious it should be a priority for the whole population, but particularly for women because too often it shortened their lives. In England in 2013, 56.4% of women aged 34-44 and 62% of women aged 45-54 were classified as overweight or obese. Obesity increases the risk of many diseases including breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Sugar tax Dame Sally warned that if the food
Read more