Natural antioxidants in land- and marine-based wild-type food: Risk reduction

Abstract

The relationship between health and food choices and the factors that determine our health have attracted the attention of scientists and health professionals for many years. However, during the last decade it has become obvious that the diet has a pivotal role in maintaining our health. It is generally accepted that natural antioxidants play important roles in risk reduction of many degenerative diseases, including two major killers of modern society cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In fact, a delicate balance between antioxidants and pro-oxidants in cells is an important determinant of various physiological processes and maintenance of this balance is the main aim of so called an integrated antioxidant system built in the human body. This system was developed during evolution to provide an antioxidant defence and give a chance for animals and humans to survive in an oxygenated atmosphere. It is now widely accepted that fruits and vegetables are important dietary components responsible for maintenance of good health. However, molecular mechanisms of protective effects of fruits and vegetables have not been fully elucidated. One of the attractive ideas is that various antioxidant compounds of fruits and vegetables are responsible for prevention of oxidative damage in the digestive tract. © 2008 Humana Press Inc.