Antioxidant
and Vitamins
Every time we eat, breathe or move, our body uses fuel from food
to produce energy. But just as a car using gas to produce energy
releases harmful byproducts of this process as exhaust, so, too,
does our own body’s energy-producing efforts produce a dangerous
byproduct, called free radicals. Free radicals are highly
reactive forms of oxygen that are missing an electron. When they
come into contact with normal cells, they try to steal an electron,
damaging the healthy cell and its DNA. It’s estimated every cell
in our body takes 10,000 oxidative hits to its DNA daily!
Free radical damage has long been believed to be a risk factor of
many of the degenerative processes that accompany aging, including
heart disease, memory loss, wrinkles, and cancer.
Antioxidants, however, are the catalytic converter of free radicals.
They clean up as many free radicals as they can. If damage has already
occurred, they may give the free radical an electron to stabilize
it. Or combine with it to form a different, more stable compound.
There are also antioxidant enzymes that help the free radical react
with other chemicals to produce safe, instead of toxic, substances.
If you don’t have enough antioxidants, your body will experience
oxidative stress, resulting in significant cell damage.
Ideally, we would get much of our antioxidant protection from fruits
and vegetables. But most Americans don’t even eat the recommended
5 servings per day. Also, there are many potent antioxidants that
don’t come from food. To to optimize our antioxidants, you must
go beyond food.
Click on the links below to learn more about these antioxidant vitamins.
Antioxidant Vitamins
Vitamin A
Vitamin C and bioflavonoids
Vitamin E
Vitamin A (retinal or beta-carotene)
Beta-carotene is the precursor and preferred source of vitamin A
This fat-soluble vitamin is stored in our body and is essential
for the proper formation and maintenance of cell membranes. It helps
boost your immune system, protecting against invaders that may cause
disease and fatigue. It’s also needed for the normal production
of red blood cells, helping prevent fatigue caused by anemia or
heavy menstrual bleeding. It helps improve the health of your skin,
suppressing premenstrual acne and oily skin. However, vitamin A
also should be taken for healthy skin, mucous membranes, and to
support your immune system.
Helps with: Bone
health, fatigue, reproductive
function, vision, PMS, heavy
menstrual bleeding. Beta-carotene may also help protect against
breast cancer.
Recommended daily intake: 5,000 to 25,000
IU of beta-carotene per day. If you take vitamin A, then you should
take 5,000 to 10,000 IU per day.
For heavy menstrual bleeding: 5,000 to 50,000
IU of beta-carotene; 5000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin A.
Best form: A combination of beta-carotene
and vitamin A. Do not exceed the recommended vitamin A dosage since
it can adversely affect liver function.
Good food sources: orange-colored vegetables
(sweet potatoes, papaya, carrots) and dark green, leafy vegetables.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
with bioflavonoids
We can’t produce vitamin C or bioflavonoids on our own, so we depend
entirely on food sources and nutrients.
Bioflavonoids, while not true vitamins in the strictest sense, are
still sometimes referred to as vitamin P. Together with vitamin
C, they work to form collagen, one of the body’s main structural
proteins. Collagen is also an important component in bone. Bioflavonoids
also have mildly estrogenic activities, and so are helpful with
menopausal symptoms. Lemon bioflavonoids and rutin are commonly
combined with vitamin C.
As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps prevent LDL cholesterol oxidation,
the process that can result in clogged arteries, heart attacks and
strokes. It also lowers blood pressure, increases HDL cholesterol
(the “good,” protective type of cholesterol) and helps
maintain levels of vitamin E. It also has an antihistamine effect,
which can help women whose allergies get worse just before their
periods. And, by bolstering the immune system, it helps prevent
fatigue caused by infections. Vitamin C also helps you absorb iron
critical in preventing fatigue.
Helpful for: Immune system, heart
health, fatigue, heavy
menstrual bleeding, reducing stress, PMS
, bone health, anemia,
inflammation, allergies, hot
flashes, vaginal dryness. Vitamin C and bioflavonoids may also
help prevent breast cancer.
Recommended daily intake:
- Vitamin C: 1 to 2 g a day. But during periods
of high stress, you may need as much as 8 to 10 g. If you experience
gas and diarrhea, cut back on the dosage. It’s also best to split
your dose throughout the day, as your body will get rid of what
it doesn’t immediately need. - Bioflavonoids: 750 to 2000 mg per day.
- For heavy menstrual bleeding: 1,000 to 5,000
mg of vitamin C (as buffered vitamin C); 700 to 2,400 mg of bioflavonoids - For anemia: 250-1000 mg of vitamin C
Best food sources: Most fruits and
vegetables, and sprouted grains, seeds and beans.Good to know:
- Stress can deplete vitamin
C. Even an unexpected confrontational phone call can quickly use
up your supply.
- If you’re taking large doses
of Vitamin C buffered with calcium, make sure you increase your
magnesium intake to balance out with your calcium in a 2:1 or 10:4
ratio of calcium to magnesium.Vitamin E
There are several types of vitamin E, including alpha and gamma
tocopherol, and tocotrienols. It’s a powerful antioxidant, working
to prevent cell damage throughout the body. Vitamin E also strengthens
the immune system and its response to attack, and has antihistamine
properties that can help women suffering from allergies. Gamma
tocopherol may also play a major role in maintaining blood pressure
and preventing congestive heart failure by regulating the passage
of fluid through the kidneys and preventing blood clots from forming.
If your diet is high in saturated fats, then blood cells can become
sticky and clump together. Vitamin E prevents this from happening.
There are also intriguing studies suggesting it may be effective
as an estrogen replacement.Helps with: Heart
health, immune system, stress, fatigue,
heavy menstrual bleeding
and anemia, PMS
and menopausal symptoms, and
preventing some cancers, including breast, prostate, lung and
colon. May also play a role in protecting against memory problems,
as with Alzheimer’s disease.Recommended daily intake: 400 to 1,000
I.U.
For menopausal-related anxiety and mood swings: Up to 2,000 I.U.
For heavy menstrual bleeding: 400-1,600 I.U.Best type to use: Natural. Your body absorbs
and uses it better.Best food sources: whole grains, eggs,
and nuts. But only very small amounts are present in most foods.Good to know: Open an oil-based vitamin
E capsule and apply the oil directly to your vaginal tissues to
treat the irritation that can occur when the vaginal tissue thins
during menopause.Caution: Women with certain medical problems,
such as high blood pressure, insulin-dependent diabetes and menstrual-bleeding
problems, should begin taking vitamin E at lower doses, starting
with 100 IU per day and slowly increasing the dose. Also, they
should check with their health professional before supplementingOther Antioxidants
In addition to vitamin A (beta-carotene),
vitamin C, and vitamin E,
and the mineral selenium,
other antioxidants you should supplement with include:Alpha Lipoic Acid
Lycopene
LuteinAlpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha Lipoic Acid is a powerful antioxidant that possesses anti-inflammatory
properties and at doses of 600 mg per day mitigates
the pain of diabetic neuropathies.Helps with: Maintaining healthy blood
sugar levels and promotes healthy liver detoxification.Recommended daily intake: 30 mg
Good food sources: spinach, broccoli,
beef, yeast, organ meats.Lycopene
Lycopene, a plant-based nutrient called a carotenoid, blocks
a form of the hormone that stimulates cell growth in breast, cervical,
and other cancers.Critical for: Immune system. Also may
inhibit the growth of breast, lung and endometrial cancer cells,
as well as prevent their formation in the first place.Recommended daily intake: 30 to 100 mcg
Good food sources: Tomatoes, tomato sauce
(in pizza or pasta dishes), watermelon, and guava. Tomato juice
is not a good source of lycopene.Lutein
Another member of the carotenoid family, lutein protects against
macular degeneration.Helps with: Vision
Recommended daily intake: 6 to 12 mg (take
with food to improve absorption)Good food sources: Dark green leafy vegetables
To learn more about other supplements,
read on: