Antioxidant Paradox

It is well known that oxidative stress is involved in many diseases as well as in the aging process. Therefore, people are using antioxidants to counteract the detrimental effects of free radicals (FR), often with highly dosed tablets of individual antioxidants. Under normal healthy conditions, a certain, limited amount of FR or reactive oxygen species (ROS) is necessary for the regulation of cellular processes. In case of an excessive intake of antioxidants, these ROS are scavenged and will therefore not trigger essential physiological events, thus resulting in an excessive amount of antioxidants being available and leading to a condition called “reductive stress.” On the other hand, antioxidants can also trigger the mitochondrial production of ROS themselves, thereby exerting pro-oxidant effects causing more oxidative stress. These contradictory effects of antioxidants have been described as “antioxidant paradox.” Therefore, any indiscriminate use of antioxidants without clear indication of bodily oxidative stress should be strongly discouraged. Routine testing for oxidative stress and the antioxidant capacity should be done. In addition, the public as well as health practitioners have to be educated of the potential detrimental effects of antioxidants if not administered at the correct dosage or time.