supplements. There is also little information on the
safety of antioxidant supplements in children and
women who are pregnant orbreastfeeding.
InteractionsThe interaction among various antioxidants,
enzymes, coenzymes, drugs, herbal and dietary supple-
ments is complex and incompletely understood. Spe-
cific antioxidants may have known interactions and
should be discussed with a physician.
ComplicationsAntioxidants acquired by eating fruits and vege-
tables promote health. No complications are expected
from antioxidants in food. Antioxidant dietary sup-
plements may interact with other supplements, pre-
scription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and herbal
supplements in ways that cause undesirable side
effects. Consult a physician prior to taking an antiox-
idant supplement.
Parental concernsParents should encourage their children to eat a
healthy and varied diet high in fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains. There is no need to give children anti-
oxidant dietary supplements. The safety of these sup-
plements in children has not been studied.
Resources
BOOKS
DeCava, Judith A.The Real Truth about Vitamins and Anti-
oxidants, 2nd ed. Fort Collins, CO: Selene River Press,
2006.
Challem, Jack and Marie Moneysmith.Basic Health Publi-
cations User’s Guide to Carotenoids & Flavonoids: Learn
How to Harness the Health Benefits of Natural Plant
Antioxidants. North Bergen, NJ: Basic Health Publica-
tions, 2005.
Frei, Balz, ed.Natural Antioxidants in Human Health and
Disease. San Diego: Academic Press, 2006.
Panglossi, Harold V., ed.Antioxidants: New Research.
New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2006.
Wildman, Robert E. C., ed.Handbook of Nutraceuticals and
Functional Foods, 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC/
Taylor&Francis, 2007.
PERIODICALS
Bjelakovic, G., D. Nikolova, L.L. Gluud, R.G. Simonetti,
and C. Gluud. ‘‘Mortality in Randomized Trials of
Antioxidant Supplements for Primary and Secondary
Prevention: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis’’.
Journal of the American Medical Association 297
(February 28, 2007): 842-57.
Kushi, Lawrence H., Tim Byers, Colleen Doyle, et al.
‘‘American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and
Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention.’’CA: Cancer
Journal for Clinicians. 56 (2006): 254-281.<http://
caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/56/5/254>ORGANIZATIONS
American Cancer Society. 1599 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta
GA 30329-4251. Telephone: 800 ACS-2345. Website:
<http://www.cancer.org>.
American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. Telephone: (800)
877-1600. Website:<http://www.eatright.org>.
American Heart Association. 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dal-
las, TX 75231. Telephone: (800) 242-8721. Website:
<http://www.americanheart.org>.
Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University. 571
Weniger Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-6512. Telephone:
(541) 717-5075. Fax: (541) 737-5077. Website:<http://
lpi.oregonstate.edu>.
Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of
Health. 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 3B01, MSC 7517,
Bethesda, MD 20892-7517 Telephone: (301)435-2920.
Fax: (301)480-1845. Website:<http://dietary-
supplements.info.nih.gov>.OTHER
American Cancer Society. ‘‘Antioxidants and Cancer: The
Jury’s Still Out’’. American Cancer Society. September
8, 2005. [cited April 28, 2007]<http://www.cancer.org/
docroot/NWS/content/NWS_2_1x_Antioxidants_
and_Cancer_The_Jurys_Still_Out.asp>.
International Food Information Council. ‘‘Functional
Foods Fact Sheet: Antioxidants.’’ International Food
Information Council. March 2006. [cited April 28,
2007].<http://www.ific.org/publications/factsheets/
antioxidantfs.cfm>.
Mayo Clinic Staff. ‘‘Anti-aging Therapies: Too Good to Be
True?’’ MayoClinic.com. May 11, 2005. [cited April 28,
2007].<http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anti-aging/
HQ00233>.
Medline Plus. ‘‘Antioxidants May Slightly Raise Risk of
Death.’’ National Institutes of Health. February 28,- [cited April 28, 2007].http://www.nlm.nih/gov/
medlineplus/news/fullstory_45846.html.
National Cancer Institute. ‘‘Antioxidants and Cancer Pre-
vention: Fact Sheet.’’ National Institutes of Health.
July 28, 2004. [cited April 28, 2007]http://www
.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/
antioxidantsprevention.
Tish Davidson, A.M.Antiscorbutic vitaminseeVitamin C
Antioxidants