ANTIOXIDATIVE STRESS

Year 2000, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 45 - 54, 19.03.2003

Y. Dündar R. Aslan

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this short review is to provoke
focuses on the antioxidant-induced stress. Although
there are studies documenting that supplementation
with antioxidants appears to reduce lipid peroxidation
and oxidative stress, it is still unknown exactly what
amounts are needed to have a beneficial antioxidant
effect and which dose reflects the safe and appropri-ate  limit for use. Many of  antioxidant vitamins and the
other antioxidants can cause pathologic changes to
the exposed tissues and to the organs of the bodies
by initiating different mechanisms. These harmful and
undesired effects are created by prooxidant, antioxi-dant or some other unknown ways. Although the most
important point related to the use of antioxidants is
not their dosages, the term hypervitaminosis is com-monly used referring to  the negative effects of the over-doses of the vitamin antioxidants. The question which
level of the antioxidants may lead to stress is unan-swered yet though this is vital in determining
antioxidative stress. This article uses the term
“antioxidative stress” for the first time for the nega-tive effects of antioxidants. In our opinion, focusing
on antioxidative stress is essential as it is  on oxida-tive stress by the medical disciplines. For this purpose,
close collaboration between the triad of molecular bio-chemist, physiologist and the pharmacologist is re-quired to  develop new, specific, and more effective
antioxidants and therapy modulations. We believe that
further studies are needed to elucidate  the factors and
ways creating the antioxidative stress, as well as its
consequences together with an “insurance policy”
containing appropriate measures against to it.
Key words:  Antioxidative stress, oxidants, antioxidants,
vitamins.

Keywords

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