Health and youth are issues that everyone cares about, but how to take care of the body to stay healthy or less susceptible to getting sick or dangerous chronic diseases while maintaining long-term youth and beauty is a problem that everyone should know and do it right.

Body is created as a complete and optimal organization. The integrity of the body allows it to maintain a normal (healthy) existence during life; including resistance to free radicals; repair arising errors such as destroying damaged molecules or organs (DiLoreto R, 2015) and adapting to adverse environmental factors (Biagianti, 2013). To ensure the integrity of the body, adequate supply of all the nutrients the body needs is crucial.

However, even when the body is fully supplied with all nutrients, under difficult circumstances such as hard work, insomnia, exposure to toxic environmental factors including microbial infections, exposure to radiation or poisoning... the body still falls into a state of oxidative stress, a condition in which the amount of toxins or free radicals in the body exceeds the body's defense/reduction ability. If this condition persists, excess toxins will cause strong destruction of many body components such as lipids, proteins on cell membranes, enzyme systems, and DNA, RNA molecules to arise diseases.

To maintain health and prevent diseases, there are two important requirements:

- Ensure adequate supply of all nutrients to the body.

We know about the body's need for many nutrients, but no one or any research has been able to confirm how many nutrients the human body needs. Furthermore, there may be many nutrients is needed in extremely small amounts that cannot be detected by conventional analytical methods. Scientists have also acknowledged that human understanding of nature is limited: only a few bacteria in nature can be cultured in the laboratory and only a few of these (about 1 %) can grow into colonies on standard agar medium (Jung, 2020); Or we may only know about 30% of the types of matter in nature (Dang Vu Tuan Son, 2017). Therefore, the best way to ensure that the body is fully supplied with nutrients is to use foods of natural origin from agriculture.

- Quickly resolve the body's oxidative stress.

To quickly resolve the oxidative stress situation encountered, first it is necessary to disconnect/isolate the source that increases toxins or free radicals in the body, such as curing infections, stopping receiving irritants or toxic substances (stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol, stop exposure to radiation...), reduce the intensity of heavy labor, and solve insomnia. The second solution is to support the body in eliminating and preventing toxins or free radicals that cause damage to the body. This can be achieved by using natural antioxidants from foods. These antioxidants will react with toxins or free radicals to help prevent their damage to the body and help them be safely eliminated. Therefore, understanding the antioxidant capacity of foods and the antioxidant value of foods can be a reference in choosing foods to care for and resolve oxidative stress of the body.

Antioxidants are found in food and the body

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The body can produce a number of antioxidants, including glutathione, ubiquinone, albumin and metallothionein, and uric acid, but most antioxidants in the body are exogenous naturally compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, lignans, organosulfur compounds, vitamins from plant and minerals (selenium, zinc, manganese) are provided in the diet (Flieger J, 2021). In cases of oxidative stress (illness, pain, fatigue), endogenous antioxidants will not be enough to protect the body against free radicals; Increasing the supplementation of exogenous antioxidants plays a major role in protecting the body, reducing free radical damage, thereby reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

Antioxidant capacity of foods

Table 1. Antioxidant capacity of some foods

(US Department of Agriculture, 2007)

Kind of food

ORAC (µM Trollox)

Kind of food

ORAC (µM Trollox)

Rice bran, raw

24287

Cucumbers, peeled and raw

126

Sorghum, bran, black

100800

Cucumbers, with skin, raw

214

Sorghum, bran, red

71000

Watermelon, raw

142

Sorghum, bran, high in tannin

240000

Pineapple, raw, traditional varieties

562

Sorghum, bran, white

6400

Pineapple, raw, all varieties

385

Sorghum, grain, black

21900

Onion, red, raw

1521

Sorghum, grain, high in tannin

45400

Boiled sweet potatoes, peeled, no salt

2115

Sorghum, grain, red

14000

Pears, raw

2941

Sorghum, grain, white

2200

Eggplant, raw

933

Bread, butternut whole grain

2104

Lemon juice, pure

1225

Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, raw

8459

Lemon juice, pure

823

Beans, persimmons, mature seeds, raw

8320

Strawberry juice

1002

Black beans, mature seeds, raw

8040

Guava, white flesh

2550

Cabbage, red, raw

2252

Ginger root, raw

14840

Boiled cabbage, drained, no salt

856

Garlic, raw

5346

Cabbage, raw

508

Leeks (tubers and lower leaves), raw

490

Pumpkin, raw

483

Spices, turmeric, ground

159277

Red tomatoes, ripe, fresh, average all year round

367

Spices, cinnamon, ground

267536

Carrots, raw

666

Olive oil, extra-virgin

1150

Banana, raw

879

Red wine

410

Radishes, raw

1736

Honey

225

 

Table 2. Antioxidant capacity of some foods

(US Department of Agriculture, 2007; Carlsen MH, 2010)

Kind of food

 

 

ORAC (µM Trollox)

FRAP (µM Fe 2+ )

Medium

Smallest

Biggest

Ready-to-eat cereal, wheat, chopped, whole, no sugar or salt

1303

-

-

-

Cereals, ready meals, corn flakes

2359

-

-

-

Buckwheat, white flour (2)

-

1400

1080

1730

Buckwheat, whole wheat flour (2)

-

2000

1830

2240

Fish and seafood (32)

-

80

30

650

Meat and meat products (31)

-

320

0

850

Vegetables and vegetable products (303)

-

310

0

48070

Spices and herbs (425)

-

11300

80

465320

Broccoli (broccoli) cooked, boiled, drained, no salt

2386

-

-

-

Broccoli (raab), raw

3083

-

-

-

Broccoli (raab), cooked (4)

-

500

250

850

Broccoli (broccoli), cooked

1552

-

-

-

Broccoli (broccoli), raw

1362

-

-

-

Navel orange, live

1819

-

-

-

Orange (3)

-

900

830

1080

Orange juice, pure

726

-

-

-

Orange juice (16)

-

640

470

810

Strawberries, raw

3577

 

 

 

Strawberry

-

2100

1850

2330

Grapes, red, fresh

1260

-

-

-

Juice, red grapes

1788

-

-

-

Grape juice (6)

-

1200

690

1740

Apples, raw, with skin

3082

-

-

-

Apple, Gala, whole, with skin

2828

-

-

-

Apples (15)

-

400

100

1220

Apple juice (11)

-

270

120

600

Beans (snap), fruit, raw

759

 

 

 

Beans (25)

-

800

110

1970

Green tea, brewed

1253

 

 

 

Green tea, prepared (17)

-

1500

570

2620

Notes: Trollox: An antioxidant with a structure similar to vitamin E; ()=( number of samples analyzed)

The above results show that the antioxidant capacity of foods has some of the following characteristics:

- Cereals and beans show higher antioxidant capacity than meat and fish. However, it should be noted that cereal brans often have very high antioxidant capacity. It indicates that the components involved in the antioxidant capacity of cereals are located mainly in the shell and outside of the grain. Thorough milling and polishing during rice processing can greatly reduce the grain's antioxidant capacity or processing cereals may not have the same antioxidant capacity with whole grain cereals.

Some types of free radicals are formed in the body, which are extremely reactive such as Hydroxyl (OH ) or superoxide (O2 ). For these radicals, most chemicals that have small molecular weight and are soluble in the body can become antioxidants; This is also an explanation for lack of food being the first cause of aging and short lifespan. According to United Nations survey data, the world's average life expectancy in 2023 varies significantly by region as well as by country, ranging from a low of 57.7 years in West Africa to a high of 82.7 years in Western Europe (UNFPA).

- Substances with high biological activity such as vitamins, polyphenols (tannin, athoxianidin...) play a large role in the antioxidant capacity of foods. Research by Jin Gan (2017) on the antioxidant capacity of maca suggested that Alkaloids and phenols are the most important substances for Maca's antioxidant capacity, in which the antioxidant effect of alkaloids seems to be higher than that of phenol.

The effectiveness of using antioxidant foods

Free radicals, which cause damage to structural and function of the body, are continuously formed in the human body; it is a byproduct of aerobic metabolism and is sometimes needed for body defense such as in immune processes (phagocytosis). Therefore, antioxidant activity also needs to be done regularly and continuously to limit damage caused by free radicals to the body as well as limit the speed of the body's aging process.

Studies on the antioxidant effects of vegetables and fruits have been conducted, showing that vegetables and fruits have the ability to inhibit the oxidation process occurring in the body (Harasym J, 2014). Research by Nemzer B (2014) shows that using 100 mg of Spectra product (mixed powder of many fruits and vegetables) has a clear effect in reducing the amount of free radicals up to 24 hours after taking it. The effect reaches a high after 60 minutes and reaches its highest level about 120 minutes after ingestion.

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Figure 2. Changes in serum free radical concentrations in the placebo and treatment groups at (A) 60, (B) 120, and (C) 180 minutes (Nemzer B, 2014).

The results of analyzing the free radical content of people after drinking mixed powder of many fruits and vegetables by this author showed that: For the placebo group, some people had reduced free radical concentrations while some people had free radical concentrations increased, which shows that human body's ability to fight free radicals is different depending on the health or structural and functional perfection of the body. For the group using fruit and vegetable powder products, most study participants had reduced free radical concentrations after drinking; The level of effectiveness achieved is higher in people with a weak ability to reduce free radicals than in healthy people whose bodies have a strong ability to fight free radicals. Thus, using vegetables and fruits to fight the effects of free radicals is meaningful for all groups of people and is of great significance in people whose body's antioxidant activity is not good.

 

References:

Biagianti-Risbourg, S., Paris-Palacios, S., Mouneyrac, C., Amiard-Triquet, C. (2013). Pollution Acclimation, Adaptation, Resistance, and Tolerance in Ecotoxicology. In: Férard, JF., Blaise, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aquatic Ecotoxicology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5704-2_81

Luo, Q., Tian, Z., Zheng, T., Xu, S., Ma, Y., Zou, S. and Zuo, Z. (2022), Terpenoid composition and antioxidant activity of extracts from four chemotypes of Cinnamomum camphora and their main antioxidant agents. Biofuels, Bioprod. Bioref., 16: 510-522. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.2320

J. Graßmann, Terpenoids as Plant Antioxidants, ditor(s): Gerald Litwack, Vitamins & Hormones, Academic Press, Volume 72, 2005, Pages 505-535, ISSN 0083-6729, ISBN 9780127098722, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/S0083-6729(05)72015-X.

Macáková K, Afonso R, Saso L, Mladěnka P. The influence of alkaloids on oxidative stress and related signaling pathways. Free Radic Biol Med. 2019 Apr;134:429-444. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.01.026. Epub 2019 Jan 29. PMID: 30703480.

Jin Gan, Ying Feng, Zhao He, Xian Li, Hong Zhang, "Correlations between Antioxidant Activity and Alkaloids and Phenols of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) ", Journal of Food Quality , vol. 2017, Article ID 3185945, 10 pages, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3185945

Munteanu IG, Apetrei C. Analytical Methods Used in Determining Antioxidant Activity: A Review. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Mar 25;22(7):3380. doi: 10.3390/ijms22073380. PMID: 33806141; PMCID: PMC8037236.

Valkonen, Miia & Kuusi, T. (1997). Spectrophotometric assay for total peroxyl radical-trapping antioxidant potential in human serum. Journal of lipid research. 38. 823-33. 10.1016/S0022-2275(20)37249-7.

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Kiran, Sudha & Johnson, Joel & Mani, Janice & Portman, Andrew & Mizzi, Trent & Naiker, Mani. (2020). Commercial Lentils (Lens culinaris) Provide Antioxidative and Broad-spectrum Anti-cancerous Effects. Legume Research. 44. 10.18805/LR-557.

Alzahrani, Mona. (2018). Proteins and Their Enzymatic Hydrolysates from the Marine Diatom Nitzschia laevis and Screening for their in vitro Antioxidant, Antihypertension, Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Activities. 10.13140/RG.2.2.25932.05767.

Carlsen MH, Halvorsen BL, Holte K, Bøhn SK, Dragland S, Sampson L, Willey C, Senoo H, Umezono Y, Sanada C, Barikmo I, Berhe N, Willett WC, Phillips KM, Jacobs DR Jr, Blomhoff R. The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide. Nutr J. 2010 Jan 22;9:3. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-9-3. PMID: 20096093; PMCID: PMC2841576.

Jung, Dawoon & Liu, Liwei & He, Shan. (2020). Application of in situ cultivation in marine microbial resource mining. Marine Life Science & Technology. 3. 1-14. 10.1007/s42995-020-00063-x.

Dang Vu Tuan Son [1] Vietnam Astronomy - Cosmology - publication date May 8, 2017

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Sitorus, Mega & Anggraini, Dwi & Hidayat,. (2017). Decreasing Free Radicals Level on High Risk Person After Vitamin C and E Supplement Treatment. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 180. 012093. 10.1088/1757-899X/180/1/012093.

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Ngo Duy Sa - Faculty of food science and technology