Waipahu Chiropractic Newsletter Aloha, Welcome to our newsletter! | |||||
Waipahu Chiropractic Clinic Waipahu Town Center 94-050 Farrington Hwy Suite E1-1B Waipahu, HI 96797 808-671-2685 Joseph G Morelli, Jr, DC email - website We have been serving the residents of central Oahu, and the leeward coast since 1978. If you know someone who you think may need our services, or have questions about Chiropractic or our practice, please contact us. | Health Articles and More! | Other articles in this months newsletter: Bee Pollen Benefits rd411.com [ read article ] Bountiful and Delicious: Healthy Harvest Foods rd411.com [ read article ] The Importance of Preventative Chiropractic Care Nick Messe [ read article ] Antioxidants: Do You Know What They Are? nutrition411.com [ read article ] | |||
Antioxidants: Do You Know What They Are? nutrition411.com website Antioxidants: Do You Know What They Are? Although we see and hear the word 'antioxidant' everywhere these days, a survey conducted by Wakefield Research for MonaVie, a nutritional products company, found that 92% of respondents could not successfully define what an antioxidant is and 91% could not recognize at least one food source that is rich in antioxidants. Shockingly, 75% of Americans still say that they try to eat antioxidant-containing foods. Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that damage living cells. Free radical production occurs naturally, but increases with exposure to pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke, and herbicides. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a division of the National Institutes of Health, has issued the following statements regarding antioxidants:
However, the NCCAM points out the many reasons why studies have shown less disease among people who eat the most fruits and vegetables, while other research has found little evidence that antioxidants prevent disease. Individuals who eat the most fruits and vegetables also are probably less likely to smoke, more likely to exercise, etc. Many of the studies look at large supplemental doses of antioxidants, while the effect of consuming smaller quantities in whole foods is perhaps more beneficial. Furthermore, the chemical composition of antioxidants found naturally in foods are different from those used in supplements. Vitamin E found in foods has eight forms, while vitamin E supplements consist of only alpha-tocopherol. It also is possible that specific antioxidants are more effective for different diseases (eg, lutein might prove more beneficial for the eyes than it is for preventing cancer). It may take decades for the benefits of antioxidants to become evident, and the studies are not long enough to see the results. Antioxidants are perhaps most helpful to those individuals who are under a high degree of oxidative stress, but studies use the general population as subjects. There are many antioxidants (possibly thousands), but some of the more commonly described include:
Simply because free radicals contribute to chronic disease, we cannot assume that antioxidants will prevent those same diseases. Until further, longer duration studies are completed, we simply do not know enough to state that antioxidants can help prevent disease. However, we do know that fruits and vegetables are healthful foods for many reasons other than their antioxidant content. References and recommended readings National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. Antioxidants and cancer prevention: fact sheet. Cancer.gov Web site. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/antioxidants. Accessed January 24, 2014. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Antioxidants and health: an introduction. National Institutes of Health Web site. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/antioxidants/introduction.htm. Published May 2010. Updated November 2013. Accessed January 24, 2014. Contributed by Elaine Koontz, RD, LD/N Review Date 1/14 G_1997_Antioxidants_Do_You_Know_What_They_Are.doc | |||||
About our Practice | |||||
General Chiropractic practice offering services from newborns to seniors. We welcome new patients on a daily basis. We participate with most health insurance plans including: Medicare American Specialty Health HMSA HMSA 65C HMAA HMA/Sumerlin Kaiser/ASHN UHA ChiroPlan State Employee Union Plans City & County Employee Plans Federal Employee Union Plans Auto Accident Insurance Workers' Compensation VA Referrals Blue Cross/Blue Shield Plans Aloha Care Carpenter's Union Mason's Union Most Union Plans |