Harmfulness of high intake of antioxidant supplements
Harmfulness of high intake of antioxidant supplements
By Dr. Kanthimathi
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are compounds that can prevent or slow cell damage done by free radicals (formed due to oxidation )
Endogenous antioxidants:
produced naturally in the body
Exogenous antioxidants:
Substituted artificially from outside the body
Examples of antioxidant supplements:
vitamins C and E , selenium and carotenoids such as beta Carotene lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals from plants, fruits and vegetables.
Harmfulness or hazards of overdose of antioxidant supplements:
National institute of Health warns that high doses of antioxidant supplements can be harmful.
Antioxidant supplements can cause health problems instead of preventing illness like cancer, cardiovascular disease erc
Examples of harmful effects of overdose of antioxidant supplements:
A high intake of beta carotene has been linked to lung cancer in smokers
A high dose of vitamin E has been found to increase the risk of prostate cancer
High intake of vitamins A, D, E or K for a long time in the absence of deficiency can cause toxicity and harmful effects.
Likewise large dosage of vitamin B6 can cause nerve damage.
Overdose of vitamin C can cause nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue, headache and abdominal stones.
Antioxidant supplements can prevent the formation of body's own antioxidants; they can not balance the loss of natural antioxidants.