An Evidence-Based Analysis of Dietary Antioxidants

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Clore, Amy

Keywords

Antioxidants, Nutrition, Food

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

The prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and obesity found in any developed country is speculated to be associated with the profound absence of fruits and vegetables in the characteristic Western diet of convenience. Due to the relative absence of a subset of these diseases in people adhering to regional diets such as French, Chinese, and Mediterranean fare, a search for the X factor (i.e., a nutrient in plant foods suspected to provide protection against cancer) has popularized food products like red wine, green tea, and a variety of antioxidant compounds derived from fruits and vegetables. The complexity of food is such that an overwhelming variety of health-promoting and harmful compounds are being discovered at a very fast pace. Meanwhile, it appears that many of the compounds, like resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and lycopene found in red wine, green tea, and tomatoes, respectively, are being pushed into the supplement market before enough time has been allowed to properly evaluate the efficacy of said compounds. The purpose of this thesis is to accumulate and analyze the available research on select plant-derived antioxidant compounds. Specifically, it will address their structure and functions within the whole food, their potential application to the prevention and/or treatment of a specific disease, the effects of processing, storage and cultivation methods on the integrity of the compounds, and the implication of the food science on the food industry and the health conscious food consumer. The antioxidant compounds discussed in this thesis will primarily be carotenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and vitamin antioxidants. All words highlighted in bold are defined in the glossary for readers without much background in biology or chemistry. It is important to note that this thesis pertains to the efficacy of antioxidant supplementation in populations of people without known nutrient deficiencies. This thesis, nor any scientific or lay publication, should substitute for individualized medical advice in a disease prevention/treatment situation. However, with the addition of thousands of new food products every year and the increasing availability of ethnic cuisine, deciding what to eat can be confusing, to say the least. The information provided herein is designed to be accessible to any health conscious food consumer who is seeking to make informed decisions.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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