title: Antioxidants in foods: state of the science important to the food industry.
abstract: Antioxidant foods and ingredients are an important component of the food industry. In the past, antioxidants were used primarily to control oxidation and retard spoilage, but today many are used because of putative health benefits. However, the traditional message that oxidative stress, which involves the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is the basis for chronic diseases and aging is being reexamined. Accumulating evidence suggests that ROS exert essential metabolic functions and that removal of too many ROS can upset cell signaling pathways and actually increase the risk of chronic disease. It is imperative that the food industry be aware of progress in this field to present the science relative to foods in a forthright and clear manner. This may mean reexamining the health implications of adding large amounts of antioxidants to foods.
authors.affiliation: Office of National Programs, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Finley
authors.forename: Ah-Ng
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Korry J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hintze
authors.forename: Elizabeth H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Jeffery
authors.forename: Li Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xin Gen
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000633:toxicity; D005502:Food; D019649:Food Industry / Q000639:trends*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D016877:Oxidants; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016877:Oxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds