Monthly Archives: April 2011

Carotenoids As Antioxidants

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Carotenoids are a group of around 500 lipid soluble compounds produced in photosynthetic plant, bacteria, fungi and algae. Carotenoids are responsible for some of the yellow, orange and red colours seen in fruits and vegetable. β-carotene is the most widespread … Continue reading →

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Nitrosamines and Vitamin C

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Vitamin C intake is negatively correlated with cancers of the digestive system including the esophagus, stomach, oral cavity and pancreas. Vitamin C protects against human cancer in the gut because it inhibits the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. Nitrosamines (figure 1) … Continue reading →

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Flavonoid Absorption

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Flavonoids are a group of plant antioxidants with phenolic ring structures (here). Flavonoids not attached to a sugar are referred to as aglycones. The predominant forms of flavonoids in plants are flavonoid glycosides (figure 1). Except for catechins, flavonoids do … Continue reading →

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Cranberries

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Cranberry juice is best known for its ability to prevent urinary tract infection because it inhibits the adhesive ability of Escherichia coli bacteria responsibly for the infection. Cranberry juice is able to do this because it contains proanthocyanidins, a group … Continue reading →

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Vitamin C Supplementation

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, a deadly disease where the blood vessels of the body disintegrate. In my previous article (here) I discussed the inverse relationship between vitamin C intake and blood histamine levels, and the protection vitamin C may … Continue reading →

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Vitamin C and Histamine

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Humans do not possess the enzyme gulonolactone oxidase necessary to make vitamin  C (ascorbic acid) from glucose. Ascorbic acid is therefore a vitamin and it is essential as part of our diets. Citrus fruits are the most common ascorbic acid … Continue reading →

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Vitamin D and Health

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Robert Barrington

The medical establishment still recognises childhood rickets, or osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults as the only real consequence of vitamin D deficiency. However, a growing body of research is demonstrating that the effects of low blood levels of vitamin D … Continue reading →

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The Zinc Metalloproteins

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Research has demonstrated that humans need a large number of trace minerals to maintain health. Of these, zinc is the second most abundant trace mineral in the body after iron. In fact, zinc is present as a co-factor in more … Continue reading →

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Antioxidants in Culinary Spices

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Plant foods are a rich source of antioxidants, which are thought to confer protective effects against various degenerative diseases. Antioxidants help protect from disease because they are strong reducing agents which can scavenge free radicals. A growing body of research … Continue reading →

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The Selenoproteins

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Many of the agricultural soils of Northern Europe and North America have low levels of selenium. Intensive agricultural practices and over farming have depleted the soil further of their selenium content, and a growing body of research is confirming that … Continue reading →

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