Natural antioxidants for protection and radiation effects treatment

Since many degenerative human diseases have been recognized as being a consequence of free radical damage, there have been many studies undertaken on how to delay or prevent the onset of these diseases. The most likely and practical way to fight against degenerative diseases is to improve body antioxidant status which could be achieved by higher consumption of vegetables and fruits. Foods from plant origin usually contain natural antioxidants that can scavenge free radicals. It is clear that vitamin C and antioxidant capacity are not directly related and thus that vitamin C is not the only antioxidant in juices with high content of vitamin C. Antioxidant capacity may also arise from phenolics / flavonoids found in plants. Three major antioxidant nutrients are vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene. Intake of these nutrients has an inverse relationship with degenerative disease risk. In an elderly study, it was found that high consumption of flavonoids correlated with low risk of coronary heart disease. Some evidence showed that flavonoids could protect membrane lipid from oxidation. A major source of flavonoids are vegetables and fruits. (author)