• Question: can you explain to the question what an anti oxidantis becuace i was told that it is in brightly coloured fruit and can stop ore prevent cancer

    Asked by patrickstar to Marianne on 15 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Marianne Baker

      Marianne Baker answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Hey patrickstar,

      Anti-oxidants are another one of those things that the media got hold of as a sort of buzzword and didn’t let it drop, there’s a lot of rubbish around about it.

      Basically while we’re living we produce waste products that can oxidise (add oxygen to) components of cells (proteins etc.). This is called oxidative damage.
      This can be damaging to cells, but it’s an inevitable part of respiration and we do have some natural defences against it, coded for by our genes.

      There are molecules that are anti-oxidant but eating a bit more fruit than usual isn’t going to change anything!

      This site will probably be helpful: http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/PDF/Detox%20leaflet.pdf
      If you print it double-sided and fold it like a leaflet (so the right-hand panel of the first page is the front, middle first page is middle of the back, left first page first page of back etc. etc.!)

      That’s produced by an organisation I’m involved with, that aims to make scientists available to people who want advice from scientists and to address myths that are commonly-held by the public.

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