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Inflammation - Cut It Off at the Pass
Internal inflammation is now known to be an underlying factor in almost all chronic disease, for example heart disease. Control it and you should be able to drastically reduce your risk for not just one but several diseases.
Oxidative stress (OS) is a term used to describe internal inflammation and the free radicals produced as a result. Free radicals are neutralized by antioxidants. Thousands of articles over the last few years have carried the message loud and clear to consumers, “Make sure you are taking in enough antioxidants to help counteract internal inflammation.”
Yet some recent studies that have looked at the disease preventive effects of taking antioxidants have had dismal outcomes. So people are getting mixed messages and are wondering, “Does taking in additional antioxidants do any good?”
There are two issues playing out here. One is that in these recent studies, the types of antioxidants used were very dated, and the dosages were low. A study just reported in the November 2008 JAMA gave some participants 400 IU of synthetic alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and 500 mg of a synthetic ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to see if it lowered cancer or heart disease risk compared to those who didn’t take the supplements. It didn’t lower any risks.
Antioxidants – Can You Get Too Many?
As a result of an increased awareness of the damaging effects of free radicals, everywhere you turn someone has a high antioxidant supplement they want you to buy. They range from supplements containing vitamins C and E and the trace mineral selenium (give or take a few nutrients) to supercharged juices made from exotic berries, like acai berries. The prices are anywhere from about $10.00 all the way up to $70.00 for a bottle of juice; or $2.00 for one small square of acai-added chocolate.
