Antioxidants “sacrifice” themselves to preserve our body parts from damage by oxidants

To better understand the function of antioxidants in the body:

Antioxidants for Oxidant Damage Control

How do we obtain antioxidants?

From food and/or supplements:

• The vitamins: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K.
• Phytonutrients:
  • Carotenoids.   E.g. beta-carotene (in carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes), lycopene (in tomatoes)
  • Polyphenols.   E.g. resveratrol (in grapes, red wine), anthocyanins (in berries) curcumin (in turmeric root), gingerols (in ginger root), epicatechins (in dark chocolate, green tea)
• Other antioxidants.   E.g. CoQ-10; alpha-lipoic acid;

Produced “In-house” by the body. 

•   E.g. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx),  Glutathione (GSH), CoQ10 (production decreases with age)

Note that the B vitamins are not considered to be antioxidants, although B6, B9 and B12 are cofactors for “in-house” produced “King of the antioxidants – Glutathione (GSH). Example foods containing B vitamins are meat, eggs, dairy, also spinach, legumes, whole grains, asparagus, potatoes, bananas, chili peppers.

• B1 (Thiamine)
• B2 (Riboflavin). Has a little antioxidant activity
• B3 (Niacinamide)
• B5 (Pantothenic acid)
• B6 (Pyridoxine)
• B7 (Biotin)
• B9 (folate) – Essential for health
• B12 (cobalamin) – The energy vitamin 

Antioxidants are water-soluble and/or fat soluble:

• Fat soluble.   Protect cellular plasma and nucleic membranes (housing DNA) from lipid peroxidation. (Canfield et al, 1985). Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in the body (except K storage is minimal). Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, CoQ10, alpha-lipoic acid
• Water Soluble – Provide oxidant damage control in the blood and cell plasma. Water soluble vitamins can NOT be stored in the body. Include: Vitamin B, Vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid (fat and water soluble).

 

The Antioxidant “Team” Antioxidants need optimal amounts of certain MINERALS to function properly
Antioxidant	Water or fat soluble?	Example foods
Vitamin A (Beta-carotene)	Fat	Liver, some cod liver oil, “grass-fed” butter, cream, cheese, whole milk Highly colored fruits/veg. esp. carrots, pumpkin, cantaloupe
Vitamin C	Water	Pomegranate, blackcurrants, kiwi, mango, lemon, orange, cantaloupe, red pepper, red cabbage
Vitamin D	Fat	Sunshine; High vitamin cod liver oil; Oily fish; Butter, eggs, milk from outdoor livestock
Vitamin E	Fat	Nuts, wheat germ, palm oil
Vitamin K	Fat	Kale, spinach, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, natto, sauerkraut, aged cheeses
Lipoic Acid	Fat/Water	Kidney, heart, liver, spinach, broccoli, and yeast extract
CoQ10	Fat	Beef, herring, chicken, trout
Polyphenols	Water	Red wine (2 glasses/day), cocoa / dark chocolate
Carotenoids	Mostly water	Carrots, pumpkin, cantaloupe
Supporting trace minerals / vitamins for body’s “in house”- produced antioxidants: Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx), Glutathione (GSH)
	Supported AOX	Food(s) containing Mineral
Selenium	GPx, GSH	Brazil nuts
Zinc	SOD	Pumpkin seeds
Manganese	SOD	Whole grains, nuts, chickpeas
Copper	SOD	Whole grains, beans, nuts, potatoes
Iron	CAT
Vitamins B6 (Niacinamide), B9 (Folate), B12 (Cobalamin)	GSH	Required for methylation and transulfuration pathways – See SAMe

References

Canfield LM et al (1985) Antioxidant/pro-oxidant reactions of vitamin K.