Today everyone is talking about antioxidants. Some consider them a powerful weapon against aging, others consider them a pharmacist's deceit, and still others consider them a potential cancer catalyst. So should you take antioxidants? What are these substances for? From what drugs can they be obtained? We will talk about this in the article.
Concept
Antioxidants are chemicals that can scavenge free radicals and thus slow down the oxidation process. Antioxidant means "antioxidant". Oxidation is essentially a reaction with oxygen. It is this gas that is to blame for the fact that a cut apple becomes brown, iron rusts in the open air, and fallen leaves rot. Something similar happens in our body. Within each person there is an antioxidant system that fights free radicals throughout life. However, after forty years, this system can no longer fully cope with the task assigned to it, especially when a person smokes,eats low-quality food, sunbathes without the use of protective equipment, and the like. You can help her if you start taking antioxidants in tablets and capsules, as well as in the form of injections.
Four groups of substances
Currently, more than three thousand antioxidants are already known, and their number continues to increase. All of them are divided into four groups:
- Vitamins. They are water soluble and fat soluble. The former protect blood vessels, ligaments, muscles, and the latter protect fatty tissues. Beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin E are the most powerful fat-soluble antioxidants, while vitamin C, B-group vitamins are among the water-soluble ones.
- Bioflavonoids. For free radicals, they act as a trap, inhibit their formation and help remove toxins. Bioflavonoids mainly include catechins found in red wine and quercetin, which is abundant in green tea and citrus fruits.
- Enzymes. They play the role of catalysts: they increase the rate of neutralization of free radicals. Produced by the body. You can also get these antioxidants from the outside. Preparations such as, for example, "Coenzyme Q10" will make up for the lack of enzymes.
- Minerals. They are not produced in the body, they can only be obtained from the outside. The strongest antioxidants in this group are calcium, manganese, selenium, and zinc.
Antioxidants (drugs): classification
All antioxidants, which are drugs by origin, are divided into preparations of unsaturated fatty acids; preparations of proteins, amino and nucleic acids,reacting with products of free radical oxidation; vitamins, flavonoids, hormones and trace elements. Let's talk about them in more detail.
Substrates of free radical oxidation
This is the name of preparations of unsaturated fatty acids that contain omega-3 acids. These include "Epadol", "Vitrum cardio", "Tecom", "Omacor", fish oil. The main omega-3-polyunsaturated acids - decosahexanoic and eicosapentaenoic acids - when introduced from the outside in the body, restore their normal ratio. The strongest antioxidants of this group are listed below.
1. The drug "Essentiale"
This is a complex remedy containing, in addition to phospholipids, vitamins with antihypoxant (nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin) and antioxidant (cyanocobalamin, tocopherol) properties. The drug is used in pulmonology, obstetrics, hepatology, cardiology, ophthalmology.
2. Means "Lipin"
This is an antihypoxant and natural powerful antioxidant that restores the functional activity of the endothelium, has immunomodulatory, membrane-protective properties, supports the body's antioxidant system, positively affects the synthesis of surfactant, pulmonary ventilation.
3. Medicines "Espa-Lipon" and "Berlition"
These antioxidants (thioctic acid preparations) reduce blood glucose levels in hyperglycemia. Thioctic acid is a vitamin-like substance that is endogenously formed in the body and participates as a coenzyme in the decarboxylation of a-keto acids. Means "Berlition" is prescribed for diabetic neuropathy. And the drug "Espa-Lipon", which, among other things, is a lipid-lowering agent, hepatoprotector and detoxicant, is used for xenobiotic intoxication.
Preparations of peptides, nucleic and amino acids
Means of this group can be used both in mono- and in complex therapy. Among them, one can separately note glutamic acid, which, along with the ability to remove ammonia, stimulate energy-producing and redox processes, and activate the synthesis of acetylcholine, also has a significant antioxidant effect. This acid is indicated for psychosis, mental exhaustion, epilepsy, reactive depression. Below is a look at the most powerful antioxidants of natural origin.
1. Means "Glutargin"
This drug contains glutamic acid and arginine. It produces a hypoammoniemic effect, has antihypoxic, membrane stabilizing, antioxidant, hepato- and cardioprotective activity. It is used for hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, for the prevention of alcohol intoxication, the elimination of hangover.
2. Medicines "Panangin" and "Asparkam"
These antioxidants (aspartic acid preparations) stimulate the formation of ATP, oxidative phosphorylation, improve digestive tract motility and skeletal muscle tone. These drugs are prescribed for cardiosclerosis, arrhythmias accompanied by hypokalemia,angina, myocardial dystrophy.
3. Preparations "Dibikor" and "Kratal"
These products contain taurine, an amino acid that has stress-protective, neurotransmitter, cardioprotective, hypoglycemic properties and regulates the release of prolactin and adrenaline. Preparations containing taurine are the best antioxidants that protect lung tissue from damage by irritating substances. In combination with other medicines, it is recommended to use Dibicor for diabetes mellitus, heart failure. The drug "Kratal" is used for VSD, vegetative neurosis, post-radiation syndrome.
4. Medication "Cerebrolysin"
The drug includes as an active ingredient a hydrolyzate of a substance from the brain of a pig, freed from protein, containing amino acids and a complex of peptides. The agent reduces the content of lactate in the brain tissues, maintains calcium homeostasis, stabilizes cell membranes, and reduces the neurotoxic effect of excitatory amino acids. This is a very powerful antioxidant, which is prescribed for stroke, endogenous depression, cerebrovascular pathologies.
5. Medicine "Cerebrokurin"
This drug contains peptides, amino acids, low molecular weight products of proteolysis. It produces antioxidant, protein-synthesizing, energy-producing effects. Cerebrocurin is used for diseases associated with disruption of the central nervous system, as well as in ophthalmology for pathologies such as diabetic retinopathy, senile macular degeneration.
6. A drug"Actovegin"
This medicine is a highly purified hemodialysate of blood. It contains nucleosides, oligopeptides, intermediate products of fat and carbohydrate metabolism, due to which it enhances oxidative phosphorylation, the exchange of high-energy phosphates, increases the influx of potassium, alkaline phosphatase activity. The drug exhibits a strong antioxidant effect and is used for organic lesions of the eyes, central nervous system, for faster regeneration of mucous membranes and skin in case of burns, wounds.
Bioantioxidants
This group includes vitamin preparations, flavonoids, hormones. Of the non-coenzyme vitamin agents, which simultaneously have both antioxidant and antihypoxant properties, one can note "Coenzyme Q10", "Riboxin", "Koragin". Other antioxidants in tablets and other dosage forms will be described below.
1. Medicine "Energostim"
This is a combined remedy, in addition to inozyme, containing nicotinamide dinucleotide and cytochrome C. Due to the composite composition, the Energostim drug exhibits complementary antioxidant and antihypoxant properties. The drug is used for myocardial infarction, alcoholic hepatosis, myocardial dystrophy, hypoxia of brain cells
2. Vitamin preparations
As already noted, water- and fat-soluble vitamins exhibit pronounced antioxidant activity. Of the fat-soluble agents, "Tocopherol", "Retinol" and other medicines containing carotenoids can be distinguished. Of the preparations of water-soluble vitamins, the largestnicotinic and ascorbic acids, "Nicotinamide", "Cyanocobalamin", "Rutin", "Quercetin" have antioxidant potential.
3. Preparation "Cardonat"
Includes pyridoxal phosphate, lysine hydrochloride, carnitine chloride, cocarboxylase chloride. These components are involved in the oxidation of fatty acids to acetyl-CoA. The drug activates the processes of growth and assimilation, produces anabolic hepato-, neuro-, cardioprotective effects, significantly increases physical and intellectual performance.
4. Flavonoids
From preparations containing flavonoids, tinctures of hawthorn, echinacea, motherwort, radiola rosea can be distinguished. These funds, in addition to antioxidant, also have immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective properties. Antioxidants are sea buckthorn oil containing unsaturated fatty acids, and domestic phytopreparations produced in the form of drops: "Kardioton", "Kardiofit". Hawthorn tincture should be taken for functional heart disorders, motherwort tincture - as a sedative, radiola rosea and echinacea tinctures - as a general tonic. Sea buckthorn oil is indicated for peptic ulcer, prostatitis, hepatitis.
5. Means "Vitrum antioxidant"
This is a complex of minerals and vitamins that exhibits pronounced antioxidant activity. The drug at the cell level protects the body from the damaging effects of free radicals. Vitrum Antioxidant contains vitaminsA, E, C, as well as trace elements: manganese, selenium, copper, zinc. The vitamin-mineral complex is taken to prevent hypovitaminosis, to increase the body's resistance to infections and colds, after treatment with antibacterial agents.
In conclusion
Antioxidants in the form of drugs should be used by people over the age of forty, heavy smokers, those who often eat fast food, as well as people working in poor environmental conditions. Patients who have recently had an oncological disease or who are at high risk of developing it, taking such drugs is contraindicated. And remember: it's better to get your antioxidants from natural foods, not drugs!
