Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention

Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention

You may have heard of antioxidants and have a vague idea that these are good for you.

But what are they, why are they good for you, and where do we find them?

What are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances naturally found in food that help reduce or minimize oxidation or oxidative stress on the cells in our body. Anti = against oxidant or oxidation.

Some environmental factors, such as UV light, pollution, and exposure to smoke, accelerate the aging process of our cells.

Oxidation of our cells is something that happens naturally with age. Some environmental factors, such as UV light, pollution, and exposure to smoke, accelerate it. Stress contributes to the oxidation of our cells – look at any U.S. president at the start of their term and compare it to how they look at the end of their term. That is aging. Inflammation can also contribute to oxidation.

Minimizing exposure to these factors that accelerate aging can help slow the process.

And when there is too much damage to cells, this can contribute to harm, including the proliferation of cancer cells. However, it doesn’t always result in cancer and can lead to other things, such as advanced signs of aging, wrinkles, and more.

Why Are Antioxidants Good for You?

Some food nutrients (antioxidants) can help slow this process or repair the damage.

The key here: slowing or repairing the damage is only helpful if there is no continuous damage.

Attempting to repair the damage of cigarette smoke exposure isn’t beneficial if one continues to smoke. Likewise, repairing damage from UV light isn’t helpful if one still has excessive exposure to sunlight or other UV light sources.

Vitamin C found in citrus fruits is an antioxidant.

Here is an example that I am sure you know. Slice an apple, banana, pear, or avocado. Once that exposure to air – oxygen specifically – those fruits start to brown.

What can you do to slow it? First, add some lemon juice, lime juice, or another vitamin C source. That is the slowing of oxidation.

And smearing lemon or lime juice on your skin isn’t the answer, as much as eating those foods.

Why? Because there is so much more whole foods, whole fruit, and whole vegetable that have fiber and other nutrients, we haven’t yet fully understood their role.

Where Do We Find Antioxidants?

Vitamins and minerals identified as antioxidant nutrients include vitamins C, and E, beta-carotene (a precursor to active vitamin A), and the mineral selenium.

These nutrients have benefits when consumed from food sources and not so much with supplements. But, unfortunately, in some cases, the supplement has contributed to MORE harm. For example, a study looking at beta-carotene supplements in reducing cancer risk in smokers resulted in an observation and correlation of increased cancer rates in those getting the supplement.

High levels of vitamin C, not possible through food, are considered a pro-oxidant – which is the opposite of what we want.

Supplemental vitamin E correlates with an increased risk of stroke in women.

So, food it is.

What foods? Do you have to ask? Fruits and vegetables. Seriously.

Vitamin C sources include citrus fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers, kiwi, broccoli, and baked potatoes (yes, potatoes).

Vitamin E sources include most nuts and seeds, including sunflower seeds, peanut butter, and leafy greens like spinach and collard. It is also in wheat germ oil, sunflower, safflower, and soybean oil.

Beta-carotene sources include yellow, orange, and green fruits and veggies like bell peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and spinach.

Selenium is found less in plant foods and more often in animal-based foods. For example, Brazil nuts are a great source, but people don’t tend to eat them often. Other foods include seafood, poultry, eggs, and red meat. 

Eat those foods and reduce your cancer risk. And stop smoking already.

Do you want to reduce your cancer risk and slow the aging process, too? Are you ready to address your health and overall eating habits and patterns that can improve those results? Let’s talk about it. Schedule a free introductory call today.