Antioxidants may be dangerous to young people, Chinese study finds
Supplements touted as a way to slow the ageing process may actually accelerate it, researchers say
Taking supplements that contain antioxidants at an early age could result in premature death, according to a new discovery by a team of mainland scientists.
“More and more ‘white collar workers’ in their 20s are taking pills containing antioxidants such as Vitamin C and tea polyphenols. They must stop,” said Professor Chen Chang, lead scientist of the research team at the Institute of Biophysics, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.
Her study, published in the journal Redox Biology, has found that antioxidant pills can upset the body’s stress-response mechanism and accelerate ageing in young people.
According to a belief popular since the 1950s, oxidants – chemical agents capable of removing one or more electrons from other atoms in a process known as oxidisation – can damage animal cells in a process similar to the rusting of metal.
Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals and other chemicals that can neutralise oxidants. They have been hailed by makers of health supplements for such benefits as slowing down the ageing process, curing diseases or preventing cancer.