Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that stop the harmful free-radical chain reactions involving oxygen, but they do not inhibit normal oxidation processes in cells 1. Many substances can function as antioxidants, including thyroxine, uric acid, biliverdin, selenium, iodine, vitamin A, sodium, magnesium, and lithium, as well as a variety of enzymes 1.

Ray Peat has argued that the term "antioxidant" is misleading, suggesting that "chain breaker" would be a more suitable term 1. He also notes that it is often the deficiency of oxygen which unleashes the dangerous free-radical processes 1.

In addition to the substances mentioned, Peat has also discussed the role of thyroid hormones in functioning as antioxidants, as they make the cell use oxygen and consume all the potentially harmful electrons 2. He has also noted that estrogen can interfere with thyroid-activated functions, producing reductive stress to the cell, while progesterone opposes these effects and works with the thyroid to keep the cell in its resting, oxidized state 2.

However, Peat has also challenged the conventional understanding of antioxidants, suggesting that they can work both ways and that some substances that are commonly considered antioxidants can actually have negative effects 3. He has also noted that the body's innate antioxidant system, which includes glutathione and enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, can be overwhelmed by excessive oxidative stress 3.

Furthermore, Peat has argued that many plant substances that are now being called antioxidants are actually polyphenolic compounds that have a 100% overlap with estrogens, and that these substances can have carcinogenic effects 4. He has also noted that the topical use of tannins, which were once used to treat burns, has been linked to skin cancer 4.

In contrast to the conventional understanding of antioxidants, Peat has suggested that reactive oxygen species can actually evoke metabolic health and longevity, and that the body's antioxidant defense systems, such as superoxide dismutase, are actually designed to keep tissue oxygen levels from getting too high 5.