Nutrigenomics and Foods That Decrease Oxidative Stress in People and Pets

[Dr. Jeff]

Here's an interesting excerpt from a human article that is relevant to our discussion of nutrigenomics.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts

Amitava Dasgupta PhD, DABCC, Kimberly Klein MD, in Antioxidants in Food, Vitamins and Supplements, 2014

As expected, eating recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce oxidative stress experienced by the body. In one study, after 2 weeks of low fruit and vegetable consumption (3.0 servings/day), 246 women were randomly assigned to receive either low (average 3.6) or high (average 9.2) servings of fruits and vegetables per day for 2 weeks. Then, the low fruit and vegetable intake group was switched to high fruit and vegetable intake for the last 2 weeks of the study. The authors observed the greatest reduction in urinary 8-isoprostane F2α in subjects who consumed the highest amounts of fruits and vegetables during the study period, indicating that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce oxidative stress [59]. In a study of 285 adolescent boys and girls age 13–17 years, Holt et al. [60] observed that urinary F2-isoprostane was inversely correlated with intake of total fruits and vegetables as well as vitamin C, β-carotene, and flavonoids. Serum C-reactive protein concentration was also inversely correlated with intake of fruits, vitamin C, and folate. Serum interleukin-6, a marker of inflammation, was also inversely associated with intake of legumes, vegetables, β-carotene, and vitamin C. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α was inversely associated with β-carotene and luteolin. All these findings demonstrate favorable effects of fruits and vegetables on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation. In a study of 258 healthy premenopausal women aged 18–44 years, Rink et al. [61] observed that consuming five servings of any combination of fruits and vegetables per day was associated with significantly lower F2-isoprostane in plasma. In addition, concentrations of antioxidant vitamins, including α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, retinal, lutein, β-carotene, and cryptoxanthin, were also higher in women who consumed five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The authors concluded that five servings of fruits and vegetables per day was associated with lower biomarkers of oxidative stress and improved antioxidant defense in the premenopausal women studied.