More On Antioxidants

Written by Daniel Zehirov

As mentioned in a previous post, we will be looking into antioxidants in more detail to discover how they really work and what makes them tick. To gain some general knowledge on antioxidants, you can visit this article or simply read the previous blog post about antioxidants. This time we will be talking in more detail about how antioxidants work to keep us healthy. Antioxidants work to neutralize the oxidants that are created during normal metabolic processes. As mentioned in the previous article, it is impossible to avoid oxidants, but you can certainly consume enough antioxidants to get rid of these oxidants. One example of a rich source of antioxidants are vegetable and fruit. Studies have shown that people who consume more fruits and vegetables are less susceptible to diseases caused by oxidants, such as cancer and heart disease. In addition, people who expose themselves to pro-oxidants like pollution and cigarette smoke, whether it is primary or secondary smoke, are more likely to suffer from oxidative stress.

There are different types of antioxidants that serve different purposes. Each type of antioxidant is specialized for treating different oxidized (damaged) parts of the body. For example, the oxidation of lipoprotein in the blood is a contributing factor to heart disease. To prevent this, one takes Vitamin E (Tocopherol) supplements which contain the antioxidants to stop the oxidation of these lipoproteins. This is why Vitamin E is said to help prevent heart disease. As you can see from the image above, which is the structure of Vitamin E, it is a very stable compound and it has no unpaired electrons floating around which means it would not be harmful to our cells. You can read this article to find out what diseases other vitamins and minerals are useful for treating.

More to come on antioxidants soon.

BHA and BHT - An Intro

Written by Jane Yoon

BHA (butylated hydroxy­­anisole; C₁₁H₁₆O₂) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene; C₁₅H₂₄O), as previously mentioned, are commonly-used preservatives in foods with fats and oils. Their purpose is mainly to delay the oxidation of foods so that they do not change color, flavor, or odor over time. They do that by reacting with oxygen before it reaches the fats and oils so that the fats and oils do not oxidize and spoil. Thus, BHA and BHT are both antioxidants, something we think is beneficial for our body. But this article questions the net benefits of them.

We can see that the molecular structures of both BHA and BHT are very similar. They are both phenols (hydroxyl group attached to benzene ring). Most antioxidants are polar but BHA is a bit more polar than BHT. Both must be polar in order to react with the oxygen and antioxidize.

Now if we observe the antioxidation effects from this and this experiment (tests on rats and mice), it is not possible to determine whether or not BHA and BHT are completely beneficial or harmful. The first test shows an increase in liver cell protection and the prevention of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity (toxins in the liver). The second test, on the other hand, shows negative effects on the behavior of the tested animals. Not only are we unsure of what action to take on these compounds, but we cannot even assume that these effects will apply to humans as well. This is where the big controversy lies and people are growing furious because they only look at it under a negative light.

Fact: BHA is banned in Japan and California because it is considered a carcinogen (a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue).

If it is a carcinogen to some places, should it be a carcinogen to all places?

We will continue to look at studies on BHA and BHT.