People who are obese may have above-average levels of oxidative stress, which is an accumulation of free radicals, or cell-damaging substances. This may help to explain why overweight people have a higher risk for developing heart disease.
Oxidative stress is a normal result of body processes, however, it is associated with various diseases and aging.
Although the study indicated that obesity is associated with higher levels of oxidative stress, researchers said it is too soon to recommend that obese people take antioxidant vitamins as a way to counteract free radicals.
For the study, researchers tested urine samples of 2, 828 men and women for 8-epi-PGF (2-alpha), which is an indicator of the severity of oxidative stress in the body.
Along with smoking and diabetes, it was found that body mass index, a measure of obesity, was an indicator for oxidative stress.
Results showed that the higher a person‘s body mass index, the higher their levels of 8-epi-PGF (2-alpha), which means there is more oxidative stress present.
Researchers say that while oxidative stress may provide a link between obesity and other disease, further studies need to be conducted to prove the effect.
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology March 1, 2003;23:434-493
I never knew that obese individuals had increased free radicals, but I am not surprised.
However, that does not mean they need to swallow a handful of supplements a day to compensate for this. The researchers never implemented an optimized eating plan like the one discussed in my new book, The No-Grain Diet, and observed its influence on the formation of free radicals.
Once grains and sugars are reduced, in conjunction with regular exercise, there is a radical decrease in insulin levels, which typically is associated with decreased levels of free radicals.
This does not mean that you should not take antioxidants if you are obese, but merely that relying on a vitamin pill to compensate for this problem without addressing the true underlying cause is not a wise choice by any means of evaluation.