Antioxidant Rich Foods Improve Immune Function and Increase Lifespan, Study Shows
Researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid and Danone Vitapole conducted a study on mice, which indicates that foods rich in antioxidants improve immune function and increase lifespan. These results may be applicable to humans as well.
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The study, which was published in the journal Nutrition, involved two groups of both non-prematurely aging mice (NPAM) and prematurely aging mice (PAM) that were divided into control and experimental groups. The mice in the experimental group had diets that were supplemented with either 5 or 20 percent antioxidant-enriched biscuits. 15 weeks later, these mice experienced leukocyte functions, antioxidant defenses, and lipid and DNA oxidative damage levels that were markedly improved when compared to the mice in the control group. In the supplemented PAM group the antioxidants were more effective than the supplemented NPAM group and antioxidant supplements of 20 percent were more effective than those of 5 percent.
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Lead author Carmen Alvarado wrote “In the present study, ingestion of a diet supplemented with two different doses, 5 percent and 20 percent, of biscuits enriched with nutritional amounts of several antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, and selenium improved the investigated immune functions in non-prematurely ageing mice and especially in prematurely aging mice.”
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These results could be applicable to humans as well because the function of white blood cells (which is the body’s initial form of defense against disease and infections) is strongly influenced by the antioxidant/oxidant level in the body. Plus, oxidative stress is increased with aging meaning as the human body gets older, the ability to fight infections becomes weakened. This process leads to an increased risk of diseases which are infectious and degenerative thus decreasing one’s lifespan. For these reasons, maintaining antioxidant levels is important, as this report indicates.
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The authors of this research say the biscuits used in the study contain antioxidants that have previously been shown to enhance the immune system function of both human and animal study participants.
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“Because the immune function is a marker of health and several of the immune parameters studied are predictors of longevity,” Alvarado concluded, “our data strongly indicate, on the one hand, the importance of maintaining a proper regulation of redox homeostasis in immune cells to preserve their functions and, on the other hand, that the biscuits enriched with nutritional doses of several antioxidants used in the present work appear to be a functional food that allows improvement of leukocyte function through restoration of the redox balance of these cells.”
Frank Mangano’s commentary:
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Simply put, antioxidants are vital to preservation of health. This study is just another example of that fact. They are natural compounds that shield the body from harmful free radicals, which cause cell damage and weaken the immune system.
Although consuming sprouted grains and fresh fruits and veggies is an excellent way of obtaining antioxidants, it may not be enough due to our polluted environment. I recommend taking a high-quality combination formula that provides a mix of antioxidants.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid, bilberry, carotenoids, coenzyme Q10, garlic, ginkgo biloba, green tea, selenium and Vitamins C and E are just some of the antioxidants that provide a beneficial role in the prevention of disease.
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Posted: May 7th, 2007 under antioxidants.
