Fostering antioxidant defences: up-regulation of antioxidant genes or antioxidant supplementation?

Vitamins have traditionally been considered as food components that are required in the normal diet to prevent deficiencies. However, a newer concept of the function of vitamins in nutrition has taken them beyond simply prevention of deficiency symptoms. This concept considers that many vitamins, when taken in relatively larges doses, have important functions beyond preventing deficiencies. Linus Pauling was instrumental in putting forward this concept, particularly for vitamin C. Thus, relatively high intakes of vitamins, and in particular vitamins C and E which are antioxidants, are considered to be healthy for the human population. This may be true in some special situations such as, for instance, the prevention of Alzheimer's disease progression. However, recent epidemiological evidence has not supported the claim that antioxidant vitamins increase well-being and prolong life span. In fact, vitamin supplementation may be even detrimental and reduce life span. A new concept that we would like to put forward is that nutrients up-regulate the endogenous antioxidant defences. This is particularly true in the case of phytoestrogens for example, which bind to oestrogen receptors and eventually up-regulate the expression of antioxidant genes. In this review we discuss the pros and cons of antioxidant vitamin supplementation and also the possibility that the ingestion of some nutrients may be very effective in increasing antioxidant defences by up-regulating the activity of antioxidant enzymes which are normally present in the cell.

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Supplemental Material for Older Age May Offset Genetic Influence on Affect: The COMT Polymorphism and Affective Well-Being Across the Life Span

Psychology and Aging ◽

10.1037/pag0000085.supp ◽

2016 ◽

Keyword(s):

Life Span ◽

Well Being ◽

Genetic Influence ◽

Older Age ◽

Comt Polymorphism

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New Territories of Positive Life-Span Development: Wisdom and Life Longings

The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195187243.013.0016 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 170-184

Author(s):

Susanne Scheibe ◽

Ute Kunzmann ◽

Paul B. Baltes

Keyword(s):

Life Span ◽

Personal Growth ◽

Expert Knowledge ◽

Well Being ◽

Positive Development ◽

Future Research ◽

Life Span Development ◽

Life Orientation ◽

New Concepts ◽

The Life Course

In search for concepts that help understand how individuals strive for growth and perfection within the boundaries and constraints of human lives, we describe theory and research on the concepts of wisdom, or expert knowledge about human nature and the life course, and Sehnsucht (life longings), the recurring and strong desire for ideal (utopian), alternative states and expressions of life. Both represent relatively new concepts on the agenda of lifespan research, originating from an interest in identifying major topics of public and humanist discourse about the potentials and constraints of life-span development and finding ways to measure them with the methods of normative psychological science. Despite their complexity and multiple meanings, progress has been made in the theory-driven operationalization of wisdom and life longings, allowing new insights into their ontogenesis and role for positive development. Emerging research shows that wisdom and life longings do not directly promote a hedonic life orientation or happiness: neither the insight that life is incomplete (wisdom) nor the experience of this incompleteness (life longings) is compatible with feelings of unequivocal joy and pleasure. Yet, there is emerging evidence that they contribute to other aspects of positive development, emphasizing personal growth, meaning, and the aligning of one's own and other's well-being. We suggest that future research should focus on the links of wisdom and life longings with multiple developmental outcomes and the possible interplay of both concepts in promoting positive development.

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Towards an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment ◽

10.1007/s10661-020-08816-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 193 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Claudia Bethwell ◽

Benjamin Burkhard ◽

Katrin Daedlow ◽

Claudia Sattler ◽

Moritz Reckling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Case Studies ◽

Strong Dependence ◽

Well Being ◽

Vital Role ◽

Conceptual Base ◽

Provisioning Ecosystem Services ◽

Pros And Cons ◽

Anthropogenic Contributions

AbstractProvisioning ecosystem services play a vital role in sustaining human well-being. Agro-ecosystems contribute a significant share of these services, besides food and fodder and also fuel and fibre as well as regulating and cultural ecosystem services. Until now, the indication of provisioning ecosystem services of agro-ecosystems has been based almost only on yield numbers of agricultural products. Such an indication is problematic due to several reasons which include a disregard of the role of significant anthropogenic contributions to ecosystem service co-generation, external environmental effects and strong dependence on site conditions. We argue for an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services that considers multiple aspects of their delivery. The conceptual base for such an indication has been made by prior publications which have been reviewed. Relevant points were taken up in this article and condensed into a conceptual model in order to develop a more holistic and expanded set of indictors, which was then exemplarily applied and tested in three case studies in Germany. The case studies represent different natural conditions, and the indicator set application showed that ecosystem services (ES) flow—in terms of output alone—does not characterise agro-ecosystems sufficiently. The proposed aspects of provisioning ecosystem services can give a fuller picture, for example, by input-output relationships, as it is possible by just using single indicators. Uncertainties as well as pros and cons of such an approach are elaborated. Finally, recommendations for an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems that can help to integrate agricultural principles with ideas of sustainability and site-specific land use are derived.

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Antioxidant Vitamin Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease

Preventive Nutrition ◽

10.1007/978-1-59259-880-9_10 ◽

2005 ◽

pp. 245-277 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Howard N. Hodis ◽

Wendy J. Mack ◽

Alex Sevanian

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Vitamin Supplementation ◽

Antioxidant Vitamin

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Personality and Well-being Across the Life-Span

10.1057/9781137439963 ◽

2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Life Span ◽

Well Being

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The Effects of a 6-Month Omega Fatty Acid and Antioxidant Vitamin Supplementation on Functional Capacity and Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2019025036 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 36

Author(s):

Stavrinou ◽

Andreou ◽

Aphamis ◽

Ioannou ◽

Pantzaris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Fatty Acid ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Functional Capacity ◽

Vitamin Supplementation ◽

Antioxidant Vitamin ◽

High Dose ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Omega Fatty Acid

Aim: Aging is associated with declines in functional capacity and cognitive function. The aim of the present study was to examine, for the first time, the effects of a high-dose omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid supplementation, in combination with antioxidant vitamins, on functional capacity and cognitive function in older adults with cognitive impairment, over a 6-month period in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Material & Method: Thirty-six older adults with cognitive impairment (aged 79.3 ± 7.6 yrs, 22 females) were randomized to receive either a formula containing a mixture of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids with antioxidant vitamins or placebo for six months. Participants completed assessments of functional capacity, cognitive function, and various aspects of quality of life at baseline and following three and six months of supplementation. Functional capacity was evaluated using two sit-to-stand tests (STS-5, STS-60), the timed-up-and-go test (TUG), the 6-min walk test (6MWT), and the handgrip strength test. Cognitive function was evaluated through the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R) and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), whilst health-related quality of life, sleep quality, daily sleepiness, and fatigue were assessed by specific questionnaires. A linear mixed model with a random effect for participant was used to evaluate differences in the dependent variables between the supplementation and placebo groups throughout time, whilst it was adjusted for age and education of the participants. Results: A significant interaction between supplementation and time was found on functional capacity (6MWT and STS-60; p = 0.028 and p = 0.032, respectively), cognitive function (ACER and MMSE; p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively), fatigue (p < 0.001), physical health component (p = 0.007), and daily sleepiness (p = 0.007), showing a favorable improvement for the participants receiving the nutritional supplement. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that high-dose omega fatty acid and antioxidant vitamin supplementation improves functional capacity and cognitive function in older adults with cognitive impairment. Thus, this novel approach appears promising for reducing cognitive decline and frailty in the elderly.

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Nutraceutical Boom in Cancer: Inside the Labyrinth of Reactive Oxygen Species

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21061936 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 1936 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Maura Calvani ◽

Amada Pasha ◽

Claudio Favre

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Long Term Results ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Cell Growth Arrest ◽

Host Interactions ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Pros And Cons ◽

The Individual

In recent years, epidemiological studies have shown that food is a very powerful means for maintaining a state of well-being and for health prevention. Many degenerative, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases are related to nutrition and the nutrient–organism interaction could define the balance between health and disease. Nutrients and dietary components influence epigenetic phenomena and modify drugs response; therefore, these food–host interactions can influence the individual predisposition to disease and its potential therapeutic response. Do nutraceuticals have positive or negative effects during chemotherapy? The use of nutraceutical supplements in cancer patients is a controversial debate without a definitive conclusion to date. During cancer treatment, patients take nutraceuticals to alleviate drug toxicity and improve long-term results. Some nutraceuticals may potentiate the effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy by inducing cell growth arrest, cell differentiation, and alteration of the redox state of cells, but in some cases, high levels of them may interfere with the effectiveness of chemotherapy, making cancer cells less reactive to chemotherapy. In this review, we highlighted the emerging opinions and data on the pros and cons on the use of nutraceutical supplements during chemotherapy.

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