Question:
Urologic cancers are running in my family. I've heard antioxidants prevent cancer, can taking antioxidant supplements help me?
Answer:
Research has not shown antioxidant supplements to be beneficial in preventing diseases, including urologic cancers.
Getting antioxidants from food rather than supplements is much safer and healthier.
One possible reason is that antioxidants work best with other nutrients, plant chemicals, and even other antioxidants. For example, a cup of fresh strawberries contains about 80 mg of vitamin C. Still, a supplement containing 500 mg of vitamin C does not contain the plant chemicals (polyphenols) naturally found in strawberries like proanthocyanins and flavonoids, which also possess antioxidant activity and may team up with vitamin C to fight disease. Polyphenols also have many other chemical properties besides their ability to serve as antioxidants or for vitamin E; there are eight chemical forms of vitamin E present in foods. However, vitamin E supplements typically only include one form, alpha-tocopherol.
A plant-based diet is believed to protect against chronic oxidative stress-related diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and deaths from all causes. The following are nutrients and foods with antioxidant activity :
Vitamin C: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, leafy greens (turnip, mustard, beet, collards), honeydew, kale, kiwi, lemon, orange, papaya, snow peas, strawberries, sweet potato, tomatoes, and bell peppers (all colours)
Vitamin E: Almonds, avocado, leafy greens (beet, mustard, turnip), peanuts, red peppers, spinach (boiled), and sunflower seeds
Carotenoids including beta-carotene and lycopene: Apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, bell peppers, kale, mangos, turnip and collard greens, oranges, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, winter squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon
Selenium: Brazil nuts, fish, shellfish, beef, poultry, barley, brown rice
Zinc: Beef, poultry, oysters, shrimp, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, lentils, cashews, fortified cereals
Phenolic compounds: Quercetin (apples, red wine, onions), catechins (tea, cocoa, berries), resveratrol (red and white wine, grapes, peanuts, berries), coumaric acid (spices, berries), anthocyanins (blueberries, strawberries)
Excessive free radicals contribute to chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, cognitive decline, and vision loss. This doesn't automatically mean that substances with antioxidant properties will fix the problem, especially if they are taken out of their natural context. At the same time, abundant evidence suggests that eating whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—all rich in networks of naturally occurring antioxidants and their helper molecules—protects against many aging scourges.
The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes.
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