What are oxidants?
To understand antioxidants, you need to know the role of oxidants. Oxidants are molecules that are missing an electron, so they go around stealing them from others. In turn, the others then become oxidants, and the cycle continues.   Oxidants are a natural part of everyday body functions including breathing, metabolism and acute inflammation. In fact, they are essential for some processes. But if left unchecked, ongoing oxidation can further inflame tissues and cause widespread damage.

What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants keep oxidants in check. They stop the oxidation chain reaction before it spirals out of control. Some antioxidants are created within the body, but many come into the body through food and drinks.
Many antioxidants also have other functions within the body. For example, vitamin C is an antioxidant, but it also builds collagen so it’s anti-aging.

Why do we need a variety of antioxidants?
Although antioxidants all play a role in reducing the process of oxidation, they all work a little bit differently.

Choosing antioxidant-rich foods
The easiest way to get a variety of antioxidant-rich foods is to eat a rainbow. Here are some reasons to pick different coloured plant foods.

Red foods
A major red antioxidant, lycopene, protects the heart and blood vessels from damage. Include:
• Watermelon
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Tomato
• Red capsicum

Yellow & orange foods
These foods contain carotenoids, which can convert to one of the essential fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin A. These nutrients can protect your eye from deterioration and age-related damage. Include:
• Lemons
• Apricots
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Sweet potato

White foods
These aren’t always white, but are pale in colour. Many of these plant foods have anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, supporting immune function. Include:
• Pears
• White peaches
• Mushroom
• Cauliflower
• Garlic

Green foods
Green produce is where you can find some potent anti-cancer properties. For example, cruciferous vegetables have antioxidants called indoles. Indoles are currently being studied as an add-on or alternative to chemotherapy!  Include:
• Green apples
• Kiwifruit
• Limes
• Broccoli
• Avocado
• Leafy greens

Purple/blue foods
These brightly coloured foods contain a powerful group of antioxidants called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins protect cells from inflammation and damage, which in turn can protect the body from related conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Include:
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Plums
• Eggplant
• Beetroot

Antioxidant-rich foods are best
Sometimes, people think that if antioxidant-rich foods are good, then supplements are even better. But food is always the first place you want to be getting your antioxidants because they are balanced out with other nutrients for overall health. Too much of one antioxidant can become a problem. For example, selenium works as an antioxidant in the body, but excess selenium can become an oxidant.  If you think your situation requires a supplement, make sure you consult your Naturopath.

References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22051937
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13677624
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/312/5782/1882
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20298156

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Poor bioavailability

Individual nutrients are available in different forms which vastly affect the rate at which they are absorbed.  A good example is iron, recommended by doctors and pharmacists in the ferrous sulphate form.  It’s poorly absorbed in the intestines, leading to constipation and other bowel symptoms.  Iron in the form of amino acid chelate is a superior form which will prevent the occurrence of these symptoms.  Calcium and magnesium are two further minerals that are often available in inferior forms that provide very little health benefit.  Caltrate is calcium carbonate (essentially limestone) which can settle in the kidneys and gallbladder and form stones!

Strength may in fact be weakness

I recall a patient telling me she was taking 1000mg of magnesium per day – that’s huge!  The listed ingredients revealed a mere 91mg of elemental magnesium per day – far short of the amount she required. Especially true for many of the cheaper brands, the nutrient levels are often too low to have any therapeutic effect.

Challenging the label

When you pick up a supplement you would assume that what is printed on the label is in the bottle and that the ingredients have been tested for purity and quality.  Unfortunately, this is not always so.  There have been many cases of adulteration – the practice of substituting with a cheaper ingredient to drive up profit or due to a case of misidentification of the plant due to inadequate testing.

This has occurred in the food industry with olive oil that has been adulterated with the addition of cheaper oils such as canola oil and soybean oil.  In natural medicine, this is an abhorrent practice as it shows complete lack of regard for the patient in need of a therapeutic outcome.

Golden seal (Hydrastis canadensis) is an expensive herb to source due to the difficulty in its cultivation.  Golden seal is known for its yellow colour due to the berberine content and has been known to be substituted with other berberine containing herbs that are much easier to grow.  Although these other herbs have a valuable place in herbal practice, they are missing the active ingredient hydrastine that provides antimicrobial activity.

The manufacturers I source from undertake comprehensive testing on the raw herbal material to detect adulteration and the presence of the correct active ingredients to ensure the best therapeutic outcomes.

The little things

Excipients are supposed to be non-reactive substances, included to stabilise and bulk up tablets and capsules.  Some of these excipients contain allergenic substances such as lactose and/or gluten which can be counter-productive to treatment aims.

Oils aint oils

If something appears too good to be true, then it probably is.  This is certainly the case with many fish oils on the market, like deals that offer 1000 fish oils capsules for $30 or similar.  A 2015 report concluded that a massive 92% of fish oils did not meet the Global Organisation for EPA & DHA (GOED) international standards.  Good quality fish oils are free from contaminants such as mercury and have good levels of EPA and DHA.  Reputable manufacturers will independently test for these criteria and ensure stability to avoid oxidisation that causes oils to become harmful.

The take home from this information is to make sure you consult a qualified Naturopath to ensure you are getting the most suited and best quality natural health supplements for your body.

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