Today everyone is talking about antioxidants. Some see them as a powerful anti-aging weapon, others as cheating on pharmacists, and others as a potential cancer catalyst in general. So is it worth taking antioxidants? What are these substances for? What drugs can they be obtained from? We will talk about this in the article.
The concept
Antioxidants are chemicals that can bind free radicals and thereby slow down oxidation processes. Antioxidant in translation - "antioxidant." Oxidation is essentially the interaction with oxygen. It is this gas that is to blame for the fact that the cut apple takes on a brown hue, the iron rusts in the open, and the fallen leaves rot. Something similar happens in our body. Inside each person, an antioxidant system functions that fights free radicals throughout life. However, after forty years, this system can no longer fully cope with the task assigned to it, especially when a person smokes, eats poor-quality food, tans without using protective equipment, and the like. You can help her if you start taking antioxidants in tablets and capsules, as well as in the form of injections.
Four groups of substances
Currently, more than three thousand antioxidants are already known, and their number continues to increase. All of them are divided into four groups:
- Vitamins They are water soluble and fat soluble. The former protect vessels, ligaments, muscles, and the latter protect adipose tissue. Beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin E are antioxidants, the most powerful among fat-soluble ones, and vitamin C, B-group vitamins are among water-soluble ones.
- Bioflavonoids. For free radicals, they act like a trap, inhibit their formation and help remove toxins. Bioflavonoids mainly include red wine catechins and quercetin, which are abundant in green tea and citrus fruits.
- Enzymes. They play the role of catalysts: they increase the rate of neutralization of free radicals. Produced by the body. You can additionally receive these antioxidants from the outside. Drugs such as Coenzyme Q10, for example, make up for the lack of enzymes.
- Minerals. They are not produced in the body, they can be obtained only from the outside. The strongest antioxidants in this group are calcium, manganese, selenium, zinc.
Antioxidants (drugs): classification
All antioxidants that are drugs by origin are divided into unsaturated fatty acid preparations; preparations of proteins, amino and nucleic acids that react with free radical oxidation products; vitamins, flavonoids, hormones and trace elements. We will tell you more about them.
Free radical oxidation substrates
So called unsaturated fatty acid preparations that contain omega-3 acids. These include Epadol, Vitrum Cardio, Tecom, Omacor, and fish oil. The main omega-3-polyunsaturated acids - decosohexanoic and eicosapentaenoic - when administered externally in the body, restore their normal ratio. The strongest antioxidants in this group are listed below.
1. The drug "Essential"
This is a complex product containing, in addition to phospholipids, vitamins with antihypoxic (nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin) and antioxidant (cyanocobalamin, tocopherol) properties. The drug is used in pulmonology, obstetrics, hepatology, cardiology, ophthalmology.
2. The tool "Lipin"
It is an antihypoxant and a natural powerful antioxidant that restores the functional activity of the endothelium, has immunomodulating, membrane-protective properties, supports the body's antioxidant system, positively affects surfactant synthesis, and pulmonary ventilation.
3. Medicines "Espa-Lipon" and "Berlition"
These antioxidants (thioctic acid preparations) reduce blood glucose levels in hyperglycemia. Thioctic acid is a vitamin - like substance that is endogenously formed in the body and participates as a coenzyme in the decarboxylation of a-keto acids. The remedy "Berlition" is prescribed for diabetic neuropathy. And the Espa-Lipon preparation, which is, among other things, a lipid-lowering agent, hepatoprotector and detoxifier, is used for xenobiotics intoxication.
Peptide, nucleic and amino acid preparations
Means of this group can be used both in mono-and complex therapy. Among them, glutamic acid can be separately noted, which can, along with the ability to remove ammonia, stimulate energy-producing and redox processes, activate acetylcholine synthesis, also have a significant antioxidant effect. This acid is indicated for psychoses, mental exhaustion, epilepsy, and reactive depression. Below we consider the most powerful antioxidants of natural origin.
1. Means "Glutargin"
This drug contains glutamic acid and arginine. It produces a hypo-ammonium effect, has antihypoxic, membrane-stabilizing, antioxidant, hepato- and cardioprotective activity. It is used for hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, for the prevention of alcohol intoxication, the elimination of a hangover syndrome.
2. Medicines "Panangin" and "Asparkam"
These antioxidants (aspartic acid preparations) stimulate the formation of ATP, oxidative phosphorylation, improve digestive tract motility and skeletal muscle tone. These drugs are prescribed for cardiosclerosis, arrhythmias, accompanied by hypokalemia, angina pectoris, myocardial dystrophy.
3. Preparations "Dibikor" and "Kratal"
These products contain taurine - an amino acid with stress-protective, neurotransmitter, cardioprotective, hypoglycemic properties and regulating the release of prolactin and adrenaline. Preparations containing taurine are the best antioxidants that protect against lung damage from irritating substances. In combination with other medicines, it is recommended to use the Dibikor remedy for diabetes mellitus and heart failure. The drug "Kratal" is used for VVD, vegetoneurosis, post-radiation syndrome.
4. The medication "Cerebrolysin"
The medicine includes, as an active ingredient, a hydrolyzate of a substance from a pig’s brain, freed from protein, containing amino acids and a complex of peptides. The tool reduces the lactate content in the brain tissues, supports calcium homeostasis, stabilizes cell membranes, reduces the neurotoxic effect of exciting amino acids. This is a very powerful antioxidant, which is prescribed for stroke, endogenous depression, cerebrovascular pathologies.
5. The medicine "Cerebrocurin"
This preparation contains peptides, amino acids, and low molecular weight proteolysis products. It produces antioxidant, protein synthesizing, energy-producing effects. Cerebrocurin is used for diseases associated with malfunctioning of the central nervous system, as well as in ophthalmology for pathologies such as diabetic retinopathy, senile macular degeneration.
6. The drug "Actovegin"
This medicine is a highly purified blood hemodialysate. It contains nucleosides, oligopeptides, intermediate products of fat and carbohydrate metabolism, due to which it enhances oxidative phosphorylation, the exchange of high-energy phosphates, increases the influx of potassium, the activity of alkaline phosphatase. The drug exhibits a strong antioxidant effect and is used for organic lesions of the eyes, central nervous system, for faster regeneration of the mucous membranes and skin in case of burns, wounds.
Bioantioxidants
This group includes vitamin preparations, flavonoids, hormones. Of the non-coenzyme vitamins, which simultaneously have both antioxidant and antihypoxic properties, Coenzyme Q10, Riboxin, and Koragin can be noted. Other antioxidants in tablets and other dosage forms will be described below.
1. The medicine "Energostim"
This is a combined tool, in addition to inositol, containing nicotinamide dinucleotide and cytochrome C. Due to its composite composition, the drug Energostim exhibits mutually complementary antioxidant and antihypoxant properties. The medicine is used for myocardial infarction, alcoholic hepatosis, myocardial dystrophy, brain cell hypoxia
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2. Vitamin preparations
As already noted, pronounced antioxidant activity is exhibited by water and fat soluble vitamins. Of the fat-soluble agents can distinguish "Tocopherol", "Retinol" and other medicines containing carotenoids. Of the preparations of water-soluble vitamins, nicotinic and ascorbic acids, Nicotinamide, Cyanocobalamin, Rutin, and Quercetin have the greatest antioxidant potential.
3. The drug "Cardonate"
Includes pyridoxal phosphate, lysine hydrochloride, carnitine chloride, cocarboxylase chloride. These components are involved in the oxidation of fatty acids to acetyl-CoA. The medication activates the processes of growth and assimilation, produces anabolic hepato-, neuro-, and cardioprotective effects, and significantly increases physical and intellectual performance.
4. Flavonoids
Of the preparations containing flavonoids, tinctures of hawthorn, echinacea, motherwort, and radiola rosea can be distinguished . These drugs, in addition to antioxidant, also have immunomodulating and hepatoprotective properties. Antioxidants are sea buckthorn oil containing unsaturated fatty acids, and domestic phytopreparations, produced in the form of drops: "Cardioton", "Cardiophyte". Tincture of hawthorn should be taken for functional disorders of the heart, tincture of motherwort - as a sedative, tinctures of pink radiola and echinacea - as a means of tonic effect. Sea buckthorn oil is indicated for peptic ulcer, prostatitis, hepatitis.
5. The tool "Vitrum antioxidant"
This is a complex of minerals and vitamins, showing pronounced antioxidant activity. The drug at the cellular level protects the body from the damaging effects of free radicals. Vitrum Antioxidant contains vitamins A, E, C, as well as trace elements: manganese, selenium, copper, zinc. The vitamin-mineral complex is taken to prevent hypovitaminosis, to increase the body's resistance to infections and colds, after treatment with antibacterial agents.
Finally
Antioxidants in the form of drugs should be used by people after the age of forty, heavy smokers, those who often eat fast food, and people working in poor environmental conditions. Patients who have recently undergone cancer or have a high risk of developing it, the use of such funds is contraindicated. And remember: it is better to get antioxidants from natural products, and not from medications!