ANTIOXIDANTS, BODYGUARS FOR YOUR CELLS, Part 2 end

BIG THREE  OF ANTIOXIDANT

VITAMIN C

Like Navy SEALs, molecules of vitamin C (also called ascorbic acid) patrol the waters of your body, capturing free radicals in blood and other fluids, such as lung and eye fluids. Getting lots of vitamin C in your diet can help protect against damage in many of your body's fluid -filled areas, such as the heart, arteries, and eyes.

An important attribute of this aquatic antioxidant, which is found in foods like tropical and citrus fruits, red bell peppers, and broccoli, is that it works so quickly. Vitamin C has been shown to block free radicals before other antioxidant compounds even arrive on the scene.

One of the most exciting findings about vitamin C is that it appears to help curtail the effects of aging. Researchers analyzed a national survey of vitamin C intake and death rate in 11,348 people ages 25 to 74 during a 10 -year span. They found that men and women with high intakes of vitamin C—about 300 milligrams a day—from both food and supplements had much lower death rates from heart disease than those with low intakes. Specifically, men had a 42 percent lower death rate from heart disease, and women had a 25 percent lower death rate. Even when vitamin C intakes were less than 50 milligrams a day, women had a 10 percent reduction in death rates from heart disease, while men had a 6 percent reduction.

"Other studies have shown similar results," says James Enstrom, Ph.D. associate research professor at the University Of California School Of Public Health. Los Angeles.

Like most antioxidants, vitamin C is also widely recognized by researchers for its ability to protect against cancer—particularly against stomach cancer. When comparing vitamin C intake among the populations of seven different countries during a 25 -year period, researchers found that the more vitamin C people ate—up to about 150 milligrams a day—the lower their risk of dying from stomach cancer.

"Though the 60 milligram Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C is probably in adequate, you should stay below 1,000 milligrams a day so that the vitamin doesn't interfere with other nutrients in your body," adds Robert R. Jenkins, Ph.D., professor of biology at Ithaca College in New York.

Dr. Ordman recommends taking 500 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day to keep your body's stores at optimum levels. Even better, get as much of that as you can from food, he says.

Maintaining your vitamin C stores is especially important if you're a smoker or you live with one. It takes about 20 milligrams of vitamin C to squelch the free -radical effects of one cigarette.

VITAMIN E

While vitamin C is hard at work patrolling the waters of your body, vitamin E (also known as

alphatocopherol) is delving into denser territories, protecting your fat tissues from free radical invasion.

It's precisely this fat -protecting prowess that makes vitamin E particularly effective in the fight against heart disease. Researchers have found that vitamin E, which dissolves in fat, plays a powerful role in keeping your "bad" LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to artery walls.

A number of large population studies involving tens of thousands of people have linked high vitamin E intake with a significant decrease in risk for heart disease. In a study of 80,000 nurses, researchers found that women with the highest vitamin E intake—about 200 international units a day—were one-third less likely to suffer from heart disease than their counterparts who were only getting about 3 international units a day.

One of the most promising findings for female health emerged from a study at the University of New York in Buffalo in which researchers examined vitamin E levels in women with a high family risk for breast cancer. They found that women who maintained high levels of vitamin E had significantly lower risks for the disease than women who had low levels. The benefits were most pronounced among younger women, although those past menopause were also protected.

Getting enough vitamin E in the diet—it's found mainly in vegetable cooking oils, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds—is important for men as well. More than 50 percent of men with diabetes, for example, have difficulty achieving erections, often because of free-radical damage to the arteries supplying blood to the penis. Research suggests that getting enough vitamin E in the dirt can help keep blood flowing smoothly through those arteries.

While vitamin E is effective in its own right, it works more efficiently, combined with vitamin C, says Dr. Ordman. "It's like vitamin C help Vitamin E get back on its feet again. After vitamin E becomes oxidized by free radicals, vitamin C comes along and regenerates it so that it's ready to work .pin," he explains.

The DV for vitamin E is 30 international units, but Dr. Ordman recommends shooting for 400 international units in order to get the maximum protection.

BETA - CAROTENE AND FRIENDS

Beta -carotene, a red -yellow food pigment that turns to vitamin A in the body, has been on quite a roller -coaster ride during the past few decades. It enjoyed enormous popularity when scientists linked it with lower rates of heart disease and cancer. The mood changed, however, when researchers discovered that taking beta -carotene supplements seemed to increase the risk for some of these diseases. Now, as medical science learns more about this enigmatic antioxidant, beta -carotene's reputation is ascending again, albeit more cautiously than before.

"We know that beta -carotene has established benefits, but the amounts that people need are well within the range they can get from eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables  a  day," explains Dr. Ordman. "So you don't need extraordinary amounts. There are definite risks with supplementation.”

Why are food sources of beta -carotene so much better than supplements? Scientists still aren't sure, but they suspect that it may be because beta –carotene has at least 500 siblings, collectively known as carotenoids. It's possible, they say, that it's not just the beta -carotene that's causing the benefits but the combination of beta -carotene plus its less -recognized kin.

Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes, for instance, may be considerably more potent than beta -carotene in the battle against cancer. When testing the effectiveness of each of these compounds in the laboratory, researchers found lycopene to be more effective than beta -carotene at inhibiting the growth of certain types of cancer cells.

In a study that proves that carrots really are good for your eyes, researchers found that people with the highest levels of carotenoids had one-third to one half the risk of macular degeneration than those with lower levels.

So the next time you're in the produce aisle, be sure to fill your cart with plenty of carotenoid-rich foods like spinach and other dark green, leafy vegetables, and deep orange fruits and vegetables like pumpkins, sweet potatoes, carrots, and cantaloupe.

WORKING TOGETHER

Even though antioxidants work well on their own, they really aren't solo players. Like a finely tuned orchestra, they perform best when they're performing together.

In one study, researchers from Scotland gave 50 men an antioxidant "cocktail" containing 100 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E, and 25 milligrams of beta -carotene. They gave another 50 men inactive pills. After 20 weeks, they found that in the men given antioxidants, disease –fighting white blood cells had sustained only two-thirds as much DNA damage as the white blood cells of men not taking the active pills. This is important, because damage to DNA can lead to the development of cancer.

Moreover, when it comes to keeping your heart ticking, there may be nothing quite as effective as a one-two punch of vitamins C and F, according to a study from the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland. In a study of 11,178 people ages 67 to 105, researchers found that those who took vita nuns C and E every day cut their risk of dying from heart disease in half.

Although antioxidants certainly have shown their mettle against tumor health threats like heart disease and cancer, they are also useful in preventing lesser ailments. One example is muscle soreness. One study found that folks who are sedentary most of the time and then suddenly exercise intensely may find relief from aching muscles with vitamin E. It appears that vitamin E may reduce free radical damage that can lead to muscle soreness.

THE REST OF THE TROOP

Even though vitamins C and E and beta -carotene are the best studied of the antioxidants, they're only a small part of a massive army of protective compounds found in foods. For example, the minerals selenium and zinc also act as potent antioxidants. So do the phenolic compounds in green tea and the flavonoids in red wine. "We all agree that everyone should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to ensure that they get healthy amounts of all of these antioxidants," explains Dr. Ordman. "But as far as taking extra supplements, you should stick with those that have been studied extensively and proven safe in long-term clinical trials. Those are vitamins C and E. Everything else should come solely from food."

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