Anti-oxidants

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Anti-oxidants are molecules that inhibit the oxidation of other molecules; they are also one of the single most common sales pitches in food woo since the late 1990s.

Anti-oxidants are important for proper body functioning.[1] However, consumption of anti-oxidants beyond that already contained in any typical balanced diet have been repeatedly shown to exert zero measurable benefit in research.[2] Many health claims related to anti-oxidants rely on the free radical theory of cell degeneration, which has also been debunked by the FDA.[3]

Contents

[edit] Natural sources of anti-oxidants

  • Some vitamins — specifically, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene (a precursor to Vitamin A) — are antioxidants.
  • Fruits, especially berries, are generally high in anti-oxidants and low in cost.
  • Coffee is high in antioxidants, and in some people it may be the primary source of antioxidants.[4]

[edit] Unnatural sources of anti-oxidants

  • BHA and BHT are antioxidants used as preservatives to keep fats from going rancid. According to alternative medicine and vegan woo-promoters, these ones are bad because they're "not natural".
  • In fact, virtually all anti-oxidants are preservatives; the scientific term for oxidized fats is "rancid".

[edit] The pitch, the sale, and the woo

[edit] Anti-aging

One of the biggest sellers in the skin care market are those that contain "antioxidants" to help prevent aging.[5] These are typically part of lotions, ointments and other goops applied to the skin, which suffer from "a paucity of controlled clinical trials in humans examining the role of antioxidants in preventing or decelerating skin aging." [6] Like many other wonder drugs to prevent aging, they are often extremely pricey for what they provide.

It was once thought that anti-oxidants played a role in the increased longevity in many species of animals caused by calorie-restriction. This has now been proven false.[7][8][9]

[edit] Bodybuilding

Often touted for muscle building, high dose anti-oxidant pills appear to be worse than useless. Yes, that's right, anti-oxidants hinder muscle development. This appears to be because muscles require a certain level of oxidative stress in order to build over time. Normal levels of anti-oxidants from dietary fruits and vegetables appear to be fine however.[10]

[edit] Hip fruits

There is always some trendy fruit from some exotic locale that is jumped on by the health food industry as "a good source of antioxidants." These include goji berries, açaí berries, and the new-to-market amala fruit. These pop up in teas, wonder drinks, and capsules: all pricey, none better than common (and far cheaper) raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, unless they taste better.

[edit] Footnotes

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