Open AccessAspects of antioxidant foods and supplements in health and disease
Author(s) -
Herrera Emilio,
Jiménez Rafael,
Aruoma Okezie I,
Hercberg Serge,
SánchezGarcía Isidro,
Fraga César
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
nutrition reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.958
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1753-4887
pISSN - 0029-6643
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00177.x
Subject(s) - antioxidant , disease , health benefits , radical , medicine , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , biochemistry , traditional medicine , pathology
Free radicals generated as byproducts of normal metabolism can damage biologically relevant molecules. When their generation is increased, damage can also be increased, resulting in the development of many pathological conditions. Antioxidant defenses protect the body from the detrimental effects of free radicals. Dietary fruits and vegetables provide a reasonable amount of compounds that act as physiological antioxidants. Although existing knowledge does not allow a final and conclusive assessment of the relevance of antioxidants for health, it does provide the basis for its rational consideration. This paper addresses the specific aspects of antioxidant supplementation in health and disease.