Vitamin and Antioxidants

People naturally desire to be healthy, disease-free and youthful. A simple principle that leads to being healthy and young for a long time is to consume various kinds of food and 5 main food groups. Recently, it has discovered many useful vitamins and antioxidants which are really important for the human body especially when people grow old. However, most consumers still don’t know how to choose the proper vitamins in order to utilize its maximum benefits and to be worth the money. Moreover, all knowledge about vitamins and antioxidants that will be used as information for a product’s purchase decision should be reliable and supported by research. 

1. Vitamin C is the very first antioxidant vitamin that has been found and widely studied. Vitamin C plays an important role in forming collagen, so it may help prevent wrinkles, heal wounds, and prevent the deterioration of the skin. It also helps in terms of enhancing immunity and reducing allergy symptoms as well.
2. Vitamin E is fat-soluble but not water-soluble. As a result, fat-soluble vitamins are necessary in particular parts of the body, such as fat cell membranes, to cope with free radicals that occur. The simple explanation is that In dealing with free radicals, vitamins C and E are separated. Vitamin E also assists to preserve collagen from free radicals, and vitamin C helps to strengthen cells to not be easily damaged.
3. Coenzyme Q10 is a substance that helps the enzyme work to maintain the normal function of the body. In general, when people get older, the level of Q10 in cells decreases over time. However, taking certain drugs, such as statins, can dramatically decrease Q10 levels in the body. Research indicated that giving Q10 to patients with congestive heart failure improved their heart function. As for the skin, it was found that when it is destroyed by UVA, free radicals have formed. Q10 is like a soldier that helps protect the skin from the damage of those free radicals.
4. Alpha Lipoic Acid ; ALA is a vitamin that functions in both adipose tissue and water. It has a unique feature to recycle other vitamins that have already been used, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, in other words, to increase the levels of other vitamins in our body.
5. Grape extract typically contains two significant substances: resveratrol, which is usually found in grape skin and Oligomeric proanthocyanidin, Proanthocyanidin, Pycnogenol (OPC) which are found mainly in the seeds. In addition, Resveratrol has been applied in human cells and has been found to extend cell life. It can also help prevent heart disease by decreasing bad cholesterol and blocking platelet agglutination and may also help prevent cancer. As for OPC, it has no less good features. According to studies, consuming OPC is like having an internal sunscreen since it minimizes UV ray damage to skin cells by up to 15% and also slows collagen deterioration.
6. Fish oil, Omega 3, is a fantastic Natural COX 2 inhibitor, which means it may reduce the formation of various inflammatory compounds in the body. The benefits of Omega 3 have been studied extensively. It has been found to play an important role in reducing the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) and preventing heart disease. High blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, psoriasis, and allergic rashes.

Knowledge of all of the vitamins and antioxidants described above is an excellent beginning point for anyone interested in health and skin care to consider vitamin supplementation for anti-aging and skin care. Due to the fact that there are many dietary supplements out there today, these basic knowledge would help to be useful.

ที่มา ศ.ดร.นพ.ธัมม์ทิวัตถ์ นรารัตน์วันชัย, พญ. อัญรัตน์ ตั้งกิจงามวงศ์
เวชศาสตร์ชะลอวัย เล่ม 1 (พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 4) จากพื้นฐานสู่แนวปฏิบัติ
(Anti Aging Medicine Vol. 1 (4th Edition) Basic to Practical), -กรุงเทพ: อมรินทร์พริ้นติ้งแอนด์พับลิชชิ่ง, 2564 หน้า 135 – 138
Source: Prof. Dr. Thammathiwat Nararat Wanchai, M.D. Anyarat Tangkitngamwong

Translated by Phakaporn Silaphakul