Sometimes health stories contradict themselves. First we hear that some foods are good for us, then that gets thrown on its head, making us worry that what we’re eating is actually hurting us. One of the big stories to shatter our sense of wellbeing is the recent one about how antioxidants can actually be bad when fighting cancer.
How Antioxidants Affect Melanoma Cells
We’re told that antioxidant-rich foods fight free radicals that can cause illness such as cancer. So we top up on these foods, such as blueberries, tomatoes, and dark green vegetables. But are you chugging lots of antioxidant supplements? These can be harmful. The reason is because antioxidants are extracted from plant-based sources and then used in supplements, which can create a different effect from foods.
Research from the Karlolinska Institute found that antioxidant supplements can do more harm than good when used to treat cancer cells. The researchers grew melanoma cells and then treated them with antioxidants to see what would happen. Shockingly, antioxidants doubled the rate at which cancer cells spread. This is because they actually protect these cells, helping them to survive. Previous research from the Institute has found the same results on lung cancer cells.
What Does This Mean for You?
If you regularly love to eat antioxidant-rich foods, you might be worried that you have caused your body harm. However, if you don’t have cancer you should still be eating antioxidants. They can still protect you from the illness. It is only once the illness has sprouted in the body that antioxidants – and specifically, antioxidant supplements – should be handled with caution.
It’s also important to have a balance in your body between antioxidants and oxidants (which can become free radicals). You might think you need lots of antioxidants to drown out these oxidants, but this is not the case as oxidants do help us in some ways. An interesting way is through exercise. When we exercise, our bodies actually produce oxidants and yet exercise is known as a way to lower your risk of getting cancer.
Another important finding to bear in mind is that free radicals can actually help the body if it is fighting cancer. This is because it stimulates genes that protect it against disease while increasing its repair of DNA.
Your body also needs a certain amount of oxidants in order to fight cancer through treatments such as chemotherapy. In fact, they require the presence of oxidants in the cells in order to kill the invading army of cancer.
It is important to have a healthy diet but don’t go overboard with how much antioxidant-foods you eat because you’re obsessed with staying healthy. Moderation is important in anything, even healthy foods – remember, even water can kill you if you drink too much.
Although this research is alarming, it doesn’t mean that you should eradicate antioxidants from your diet. Rather, keep a level head and opt for a balanced approach.
Image credit: Comugnero Silvana / Dollar Photo Club
