Nutrition to Fight Free Radicals
Oxidative stress is one of the most critical factors implicated in many disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, such as inflammatory bowel diseases and colon cancer. Unstable oxygen molecules known as free radicals enter our bodies from a wide range of sources — everything from smoke and unhealthy foods to the sunshine and air. Antioxidants in our diet work to neutralize these cell-damaging invaders and include nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and much more.
Antioxidants are key to proactive health practices and can be found in many foods, especially fruits and vegetables, however, 86% of adults do not meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. In addition to that, today’s produce is 5% – 40% lower in key nutrients than 50 years ago, making it even more difficult to meet the recommended daily intake. So what’s the answer?
Lunasin is a seed peptide known by its properties against cancer, chronic inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases. It is a naturally occurring peptide in soy and has been clinically shown to function as an antioxidant in three ways:
- Reduces oxidation of linoleic acid that produces oxygen radicals
- Acts like an oxygen radical scavenger (traditional antioxidant mechanism)
- Reduces oxygen radicals produced by macrophages. Macrophages are highly specialized cells that remove dying or dead cells and cellular debris.
Lunasin’s Antioxidant Research Studies
- Antioxidant activity and protective effects of peptide lunasin against oxidative stress in intestinal Caco-2 cells.
- Food-derived bioactive peptides on inflammation and oxidative stress.
- Lunasin peptide purified from Solanum nigrum L. protects DNA from oxidative damage by suppressing the generation of hydroxyl radical via blocking fenton reaction.
- Food Derived Bioactive Peptides on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.
- Lunasin peptide purified from Solanum nigrum L. protects DNA from oxidative damage by suppressing the generation of hydroxyl radical via blocking fenton reaction.
- Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cancer preventive peptide lunasin in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
