RESEARCH

Antioxidants

What is an antioxidant?

Antioxidants are molecules that slow or prevent cell damage due to oxidation, through the action of free radicals (primarily oxygen atoms that are unpaired with other oxygen atoms). Free radicals are unstable molecules that tear atoms from other organic materials (such as human cell tissue). There are hundreds of different antioxidant compounds that include various vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and phytochemical antioxidants.

According to the National Cancer Institute (2007) antioxidants and free radicals may lead to cancer. [Since] antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals they may prevent some of the damage free radicals otherwise might cause.
Antioxidants levels that are too low can cause harm or kill cells and this has been implicated in many human diseases. Further, the brain is especially open to oxidative injury. As a result a large number of intensive antioxidant studies are being conducted including treatment of stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, pathologies caused by diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, ALS and more.

The National Cancer institute through the US National Institutes of Health produced the “Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention Fact Sheet”.  In that release, several questions are answered that are particularly relevant:

Can antioxidants prevent cancer? Considerable laboratory evidence from chemical, cell culture, and animal studies indicates that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the development of cancer. National Cancer Institute, 2007

Are antioxidants under investigation in current large-scale clinical trials? Three large-scale clinical trials continue to investigate the effect of antioxidants on cancer. More information about clinical trials can be obtained using www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials, www.clinicaltrials.gov, or the CRISP database at www.nih.gov. National Cancer Institute, 2007

 How might antioxidants prevent cancer? Antioxidants neutralize free radicals as the natural by-product of normal cell processes. Free radicals are molecules with incomplete electron shells which make them more chemically reactive than those with complete electron shells. Exposure to various environmental factors, including tobacco smoke and radiation, can also lead to free radical formation. In humans, the most common form of free radicals is oxygen. When an oxygen molecule (O2) becomes electrically charged or "radicalized" it tries to steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to the DNA and other molecules. Over time, such damage may become irreversible and lead to disease including cancer. Antioxidants are often described as "mopping up" free radicals, meaning they neutralize the electrical charge and prevent the free radical from taking electrons from other molecules.  National Cancer Institute, 2007

Xanthones

Xanthones or "phytonutrients" are a class of plant derived nutrients that exhibit powerful antioxidant activity. The result is that free radicals are eliminated and the body's immune system is greatly enhanced.
Research has found that over 200 xanthones exist and while most plants possess few (if any) xanthones, the mangosteen has over 40 (more than any other known source).

Because of the extreme antioxidative properties of the mangosteen xanthones, extensive research regarding their benefits has and is being carried out.

ORAC “Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity”

Because of the potential importance of antioxidants, the USDA has been reporting on the antioxidant levels of various foods using a standardized test known as the “Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC)”.  In food science, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) has become the current industry standard for assessing antioxidant strength of whole foods, juices and food additives.

What the ORAC value represents is the ability of a food to eliminate free radicals from the bloodstream. Overall, the higher the number the better. 

Foods with High ORAC Values: