Food for oxidative stress relief: Polyphenols

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathologies of many metabolic, inflammatory, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases leading to morbidity and mortality. While the mechanism remains unclear, overwhelming evidence point to uncontrolled formation of highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS), and decrease production and availability of endogenous antioxidants or both. These changes cause cellular and tissue damages associated with oxidative stress-related diseases. Over the years, pharmacological remedies using antioxidant therapy have been applied to correct the triggers of these diseases, albeit with considerable risk and side effects. Current interest in the old paradigm of food as medicine is increasingly becoming mainstream. Thus, certain food sources with health benefits beyond their nutritional value, known as nutraceuticals, which exhibit antioxidant properties may constitute a new therapeutic strategy to target oxidative stress. This paper highlights the potential role of food polyphenols in the new paradigm. The antioxidative effect of polyphenols may include; preventing the generation of ROS and RNS, and scavenging reactive radicals. Nutraceuticals as alternative antioxidant therapy to conventional approaches to prevent, slow, manage and prevent oxidative stress may be the way forward.