Help! I"ve never been so confused about antioxidants as I am now, after reading in the Reverse Skin Aging book about how we should avoid artificial antioxidants because they can interfere with our immune system. 1st question: What is an artificial antioxidant? 2nd question: Is is possible to get too much of the natural C's, E's, etc? This is all such an inexact science that it can drive you nuts. Just when I think I've got it figured out, I read something so confusing and vague. Please direct me towards good books on this subject for further study. Thank you in advance, for a reply.

Hi Annie3, Well my take on this regarding anitoxidants is that is BEST to get the main source from your food supply. Supplementing helps to fill out the void & perhaps boost food consumption.

If your diet is lacking natural antioxidants, vitamins & minerals due to eating high processed foods, then supplements alone will not be as effective.

I doubt you can get too much C & E from food sources, but you can definitely overdo if supplementing. That is why the inexact science of nutrition differs a bit from person to person. It all depends on diet that we eat.

Fresh fruits & veggies are by far superior when it comes to antioxidants, vitamins , minerals & natural fiber.

At the end of the day, it is really ALL about FOOD...

By artificial antioxidants, I mean types of antioxidants that do not exist in common foods.
For example, BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) & BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene), are widely used as preservatives, stabilizers and antioxidants. BHA may cause cancer in humans and might be toxic to the liver and kidneys.

BHT may react with other ingested substances to cause the formation of carcinogens. BHT is banned in England.

But BHT and BHA are low risk artificial antioxidants. There have been reports that some very powerful types of artificial antioxidants have caused significant levels of cancer in animals.

Our goal should be to suppress excessive free radicals but not totally shut down free radical production since free radicals are used to make our body's energy and are used by immune cells to kill bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dr. Pickart,