Just when you think you’ve got it all worked out, consuming litres of exotic
juices to achieve super-health, along comes the news that maybe it’s not
such a smooth move, after all. That most sincere-seeming company, Innocent,
has just had its knuckles rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority for
claiming its Superfoods smoothie (a blend of pomegranates, blueberries and
trendy açaÍ berries) contained more antioxidants than five average portions
of fruit and veg, and had a detoxifying effect because it soaked up free
radicals. Why the po-faces? And why do radicals need soaking up, anyway?
FREE RADICALS: THE GOOD, THE BAD
Put very simply, free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage normal
cell function and, it’s thought, lead to diseases from Alzheimer’s to
certain cancers. They also underlie the whole ageing process. Although often
thought of as baddies, they are part of normal physiological processes such
as breathing and killing bacteria, so they are unavoidable. That said,
external factors such as radiation (UV light and medical x-rays), pollution,
cigarette smoke, excess alcohol and extreme exercise, such as marathon
running, can increase their levels. Cue antioxidants, the body’s
free-radical scavengers, which work to minimise and repair the damage free
radicals do.
ANTIOXIDANTS: THEY’RE NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL
As well as its in-built supply of antioxidants, the body needs more from the
diet, specifically betacarotene and vitamin C (found in fruit and
vegetables), vitamin E (vegetable oils) and polyphenols (found in a variety
of substances including red wine, chocolate and tea). It’s a fact – borne
out by huge studies – that people who eat a diet rich in fruit and
vegetables have a lower incidence of conditions such as heart disease,
dementia, stroke and certain cancers. And so, the link was made that, as
those diseases are associated with free-radical damage, it must be the
antioxidants in the fruit and veg doing the protecting.
IS PILL-POPPING THE ANSWER?
In the laboratory, antioxidants kick those free-radical asses, but in
supplement form, in double-blind randomised trials (the gold standard of
scientific tests), they don’t always perform as well. So, should you take an
antioxidant supplement as an insurance policy? According to Catherine
Collins, chief dietician at St George’s hospital in London and spokesperson
for the British Dietetic Association, the answer is no. “Current evidence
doesn’t support the need for high-dose antioxidant supplements. We just
don’t know enough about what level is a good level of antioxidants yet.”
FIVE A DAY
So if supplements aren’t a good idea, you have to look to diet to maximise
your antioxidants, because what is not in doubt is that getting them from
fruit and veg is a good thing. Ailsa Higgins, antiageing specialist and
Champneys nutritionist, explains: “Scientists can measure the antioxidant
capacity of foods. In recent research, the top-of-the-league fruits were
cranberries, blueberries and blackberries. Of vegetables, beans and
artichokes scored particularly highly. Walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts have
high antioxidant value, and cinnamon, cloves and oregano topped the spice
league table.”
But this doesn’t mean you should eat only these foods and shun all others. For
maximum health benefit, Higgins’s advice is to eat plenty of
different-coloured vegetables and fruit, including nuts, spices and herbs.
Collins agrees, saying it is more important to focus on how foods work
together, as well as the overall balance of your diet, than on
antioxidant-rich superfoods. “Just because something has 10 times the amount
of an antioxidant in a test tube doesn’t mean it delivers 10 times the
health benefits. The best health advice is to get five (and up to nine)
portions of fruit and veg a day in your diet.”
THE JUICE, THE WHOLE JUICE AND NOTHING BUT THE JUICE
So, can you get your antioxidant fix via a juice? It seems not. The truth is
that high antioxidant levels in the smoothie bottle simply don’t translate
into the same level of antioxidants in your bloodstream. “The problem,” says
Collins, “is that when you press a fruit or vegetable for the juice, you
break down the cell structure. And the seeds, which are themselves often
nutrient-rich, are usually removed from pulp fruit. Juice is quickly
absorbed, but there’s a saturation point at which no more nutrients can be
absorbed. By contrast, eating whole fruit results in a slow, sustained
release of nutrients, which means you probably have a greater uptake.” That
is why the Food Standards Agency says juice, single or blended, counts as
only one portion of your daily five.
As for the idea that a smoothie can detox you of free radicals, that’s just
oversimplifying a chemical process. And while drinking lots of water is
often touted as a good way to flush your system (it’s true water is needed
for the healthy functioning of cells and tissues), a litre of Evian won’t
(and can’t) rid you of free radicals. Getting rid of free radicals and
flushing toxins out of the body are two different things.
ANTIOXIDANTS AND YOUR SKIN
As well as ingesting antioxidants, you may have forked out for an
antioxidant-rich anti-ageing face cream. Is the science there any more
conclusive? A French study more than a decade ago confirmed that the topical
application of an antioxidant cream helped to protect against pollution and
sun damage (though differently from sunscreen) and therefore had a role in
fighting ageing. Other studies have confirmed this, though there haven’t
been many large-scale trials. Just as with food, the antioxidants in
skincare products range from derivatives of vitamin A to vitamins C and E
and, increasingly, plant-derived polyphenols. There are many new synthetic
compounds being used, too. Clinique and Estée Lauder, for example, use a
molecule called Eukarion-134, a so-called catalytic antioxidant, which
constantly recycles itself to continue to fight free radicals.
Dr Leslie Baumann, professor of dermatology at the University of Miami and
author of The Skin Type Solution (Hodder £16.99), favours a multi-pronged
approach. She recommends drinking green tea and applying vitamin C, such as
Skinceuticals C E Ferulic (£60; 020 8997 8541), topically in the morning.
But like the dieticians, Bauman explains that antioxidants are just part of
the picture. Use them in conjunction with a sunscreen during the day and a
retinoid in the evening (a vitamin-A derived cream containing retinol if
over the counter, or the stronger tretinoin on prescription). And don’t
smoke – it will make a huge difference to your skin. “We estimate that 80%
of ageing is from extrinsic factors such as the sun and environmental
pollution, including smoking, so we may be able to prevent 80% of ageing by
using the right skincare designed to protect the skin from these very
factors.”
THE BEST ANTIOXIDANT BUYS
— Clinique Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer, £32
— Clarins Multi-Active Day Lotion SPF 15, £34
— Estée Lauder Future Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Radiance Crème SPF15, £40
— Boots No7 Age Rewind Intensive Serum, £17
— Garnier Nutritionist Omega Skin Serum £12
