Don't know if y'all are aware of this, but I'm posting this as a sort of public service announcement for those like me who try to keep an open yet skeptical mind about things:

[www.slate.com]


"...the the main commercial use of antioxidants is to act as food preservatives..."

I don't disagree with the thesis, which seems to be that magic pills won't necessarily help you; the author does seem to imply a distinction between food based nutrients and those in isolate form in supplements.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2011 05:19PM by Tamukha.

Yes! What really had me, though, was the fact that antioxidants are being oversold when in fact they may actually be harmful for us!

It's really discouraging, trying to be healthy but caught between the rabid SAD advocates and the crystal-worshipping-Big-Pharama-Conspiracy-living-on-air-and-sunlight types...in the end, it really seems like there's very little which anyone knows!

I hear you! You must make your own way and draw your own conclusions through earnest inquiry and experience. Well, that's what I've tried to do, anyhow

I agree with tamukha about isolated supplements of any type are most likely gooing to be damaging. I just heard something on the radio about taking vitamin e (an 'antioxident') and how it increases the chance of prostate cancer.

I used to take vitamin e and other supplements, until I read a lot of commentaries from living foods and related raw boards. Some of which were not vegan, but still the general information really leaned toward foods, if they are good and natural and fresh will more than likely have what you need.

I often wonder about buzz words, like antioxidents and orac values etc...it just seems like its just another way to market and sell things, and ultimately make them more expensive most of the time.

However, lipton tea has gotten on the antiox bandwagon even. I was very surprised.

My partners mother poo poos anything like antioxidents, vitamin content, special diets etc... Which might be a good thing in many ways, except she eats a lot of processed foods. It seems to me like she would be missing natural antioxidents which would be in foods if she ate them whole. Do you think she would benefit from an addition of antioxidents, or would these just react with all the other artificial things shes eating and taking, like medications?

Isolated synthetic vitamins and minerals can have there time and place. Most of them can be used safely also. Some severe deficiencies would be harder to replace with wholefood sources such as zinc and magnesium. In those cases you would want to use supplementation such as zinc citrate. Iodine is another, although seaweed is a great source for more severe deficiencies you would probably want iodoral(potassium iodide) etc.

I quite like that alot of products put source of antioxidants etc, i feel it encourages people to eat healthier choices. Although i agree some do use it in a way to market more. Many people simply don't know which foods are rich in what vitamins etc so it can be informative to many. Some of my friends knowledge of healthy nutrition goes no further than, oranges are good for vitamin C.

Increasing antioxidants isnt a bad thing especially of the aging. Again natural sources are best rather than synthetic supplements. Minus fruits and vegetables, rooibos is a great source of antioxidants even more so than green tea and is caffeine free and low in tannins so wont mess with the absorption of other vitamins/medications etc. In the UK i am of the opinion that the most common dietary source of antioxidants for most happens to be tea and coffee.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

Powerlifter,
Which products put in sources of antioxidents?Most of the time its just in supplements here, unless its particularly highlighted on a product, that sort of takes on semi-supplemental qualities. Like chocolate with extra concentrated chocolate antioxidents. I have also seen a berry product with added antioxidents.

But for the most part I see mostly foods with added vitamins and minerals. Its actually something me and my partner generally avoid. Like cereal and bars with added minerals and vitamins. Usually makes us feel sick. I hate to admit it, but we culture our own soy milk to make something like buttermilk pancakes. More like soy kefir pancakes. It tastes very close. But we avoid the ones with added vitamins and minerals. Its difficult to find at times, as I think most people buying soy milk are vegans replacing soy for dairy, and they want the b12, vitamin D and minerals etc....

We live on the east coast of the USA so, maybe things are different here as far as what is marketed and allowed to be sold.

Sorry i wasn't meaning added antioxidants i was meaning say packets of green tea saying source of antioxidants on them. Or my pack of kale i got today said a good source of vitamin C. I was agreeing that in a way they use these facts to increase sales but it can be good for those that aren't as clued up on nutrition to know they are good foods etc.

Thats a shame that the fortified foods make you feel sick, i tend to think the fortified soy milk for example is a good thing as it contains b12 etc.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

Yes, it is difficult because I have to really look at labels. And quite often very health conscious people will look for the added minerals or vitamins. So I sometimes have to pass up otherwise healthy items, because the majority of health conscious people are looking for something extra. Its in foods that aren't particularly healthy also, to prevent unhealthy people from developing nutritional deficiencies. Some by law, like processed flour. I think some countries now require the addition of vitamin d to some junk foods. if its not required its at least available, because some northern countries have a horrible time with getting enough vitamin d in the winter.

Its like the addition of iodine to salt, precautionary I guess. I am not sure why, but the oxide and carbonate minerals are what usually get me in some products. Sometimes the synthetic vitamins also get to me. B12 usually doesn't bother me, I sometimes take that in a special capsule under the tongue. I would rather get it that way because its a specific supplementation that I know will work for me and not against me, and not an incidental nutrient to some food I want to eat.