Antioxidants in Industry

Antioxidants are also used in industry as product additives and in food processing and preservation. Industrial antioxidants slow or prevent oxidative damage that causes food to spoil, rubber to harden, fats and oil to change color or go rancid, and gasoline to oxidize. Foods that are commonly preserved with antioxidant additives include cheese, bread, and oil. Antioxidants used as food preservatives include vitamin C and the synthetic antioxidants butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). These antioxidants are added to foods in concentrations of much less than 1 percent.

Dietary Sources of Antioxidants

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a well known antioxidant that may prevent cataracts and cancers of the stomach, throat, mouth, and pancreas. It may also prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease. Foods that are high in vitamin C include strawberries, oranges, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.

Beta-carotene absorbs free radicals that target molecules in the cell membrane. Studies suggest that in addition to reducing the risk of cataract, cancer, and heart attack, beta-carotene may also reduce the risk of stroke. Beta-carotene occurs naturally in orange-colored fruits and vegetables and dark green, leafy vegetables. Some of the best sources of beta-carotene are sweet potatoes, spinach, and carrots.

As an antioxidant, vitamin E may also protect from heart disease and cataract and may strengthen the immune system. Good sources of vitamin E include wheat germ oil and sunflower seeds.

Carcinogen

Carcinogen, any chemical, biological, or physical agent that can potentially be a cause of cancer. The term is most commonly applied to chemicals introduced into the environment by human activity. Researchers label a substance a carcinogen if it causes a statistically significant increase in some form of neoplasm, or anomalous cell growth, when applied to a population of previously unexposed organisms. The modes of cancer initiation are still little understood, however, and efforts to establish the carcinogenic hazards of substances have aroused great controversy. The question of the usefulness of laboratory tests on animals in assessing human risks is particularly complex. The more recent development of short-term tests using cell cultures of microorganisms, however, is considered a major advance in carcinogen research.

Substances indicted as carcinogenic over the past few decades include the pesticides DDT, Kepone, and EDB; the synthetic hormone DES; the artificial sweetener cyclamate; asbestos; and a wide range of other industrial and environmental substances.