What is antioxidant

What is antioxidant?

1. What is antioxidant?

Antioxidant is not against oxygen, but against reactive oxygen species (ROS) which cause damage to the body.

Free radical is a kind of unstable substance which lacks electrons by itself, and if it lacks electrons by itself, it snatches electrons from others to pair with itself, and the molecules which have been snatched electrons go to snatch electrons from others, and so on in a vicious circle, causing irreversible health damage, and this process is "oxidation".

2. Where does reactive oxygen come from?

Active oxygen is produced by living: reactive oxygen is produced by all physiological activities in the human body that involve oxygen, including breathing.

Internal and external stress: UV radiation, environmental pollution, radiation, smoking, fumes, stress, late nights, unhealthy eating habits, etc. can all lead to excessive free radical generation.

Why antioxidant is necessary

Free radicals not only cause the appearance of aging, but also lead to the deterioration of the whole body function: 1.

1. The damage of free radicals to health.

Free radicals can cause damage everywhere: damage to cell structure, damage to protein structure, damage to DNA and gene mutation, etc.

Cancer, atherosclerosis, immune system decline, organ failure, physical degeneration, brain degeneration, and even fatigue and muscle aches are all related to free radical damage to cells.

2. Damage to skin by free radicals.

Free radicals can damage the structure of collagen and elastin, reduce skin cell vitality, promote melanin secretion, trigger inflammation and reduce metabolism, which leads to aging, pigmentation, age spots (lipofuscin buildup), sensitivity, acne and other problems...

How to effectively antioxidant?

Since the generation of reactive oxygen species cannot be avoided, we can only find ways to reduce the harm of reactive oxygen species to us.

There are many kinds of reactive oxygen species, including oxygen radicals, nitrogen radicals, singlet oxygen, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peroxide (LOOH), etc. Therefore, we need to match different kinds of antioxidants to achieve a comprehensive antioxidant effect for different reactive oxygen species.

1. Nutritional balance - promote antioxidant enzyme synthesis

Antioxidant enzymes, substances that exist naturally in the body, can turn reactive oxygen species into less active substances, thus weakening their attack on the organism.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD): Yes, it is the Dabao daily see that SOD (although it does not add much ......), can act on superoxide anion so that it is converted into less active hydrogen peroxide, and repair damaged cells, known as the human body waste scavenger

Catalase (CAT): Hydrogen peroxide can penetrate cell membranes and is extremely cytotoxic, CAT can convert hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen

Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX): reduces toxic peroxides to non-toxic hydroxyl compounds, and its activity is closely related to selenium levels

However, the enzyme belongs to protein, which will be decomposed and inactivated after entering the body through diet, so we can't supplement it directly, but supplementing sufficient amount of protein with zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and other trace elements will be beneficial to the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes.

2. Supplementation of antioxidants (internal + external use)

Antioxidants, which can help capture and neutralize free radicals, thus removing a class of substances that free radicals can damage the body.

Vitamin E, vitamin C: the former is fat-soluble, the latter is water-soluble, unstable and easily oxidized, can preempt the action of free radicals, by sacrificing themselves to protect the body, is a class of substances indispensable to the body, internal and external.

Glutathione and lipoic acid: Through their "sulfhydryl" structure, they combine with free radicals in the body to accelerate the excretion of free radicals, and are more effective when used in combination with VC and VE. Lipoic acid can be used both internally and externally, while glutathione is not easily absorbed by the skin and has little effect in skin care products.

Carotenoids: including lycopene, astaxanthin, lutein, etc., mostly found in yellow, red and orange-red food, is one of the few antioxidants that can deal with the monoclinic oxygen; fat-soluble, need to be consumed with fats to be easily absorbed by the body

Polyphenols: resveratrol, tea polyphenols, ferulic acid, catechins, proanthocyanidins, pomegranate extract, olive fruit extract (hydroxytyrosol), etc., can be used both internally and externally, which have strong antioxidant effect and can also assist VC and VE.

Coenzyme Q10: fat soluble, can be synthesized by human body, meat, fish, whole grains contain more coenzyme Q10, no additional supplementation is needed; another famous antioxidant "Idebenone" is a derivative of coenzyme Q10, with smaller molecular weight, easy to be absorbed by the skin, while the irritation will increase.