Antioxidants: the big overview

Hardly any phrase appears on as many packages as "rich in antioxidants" - and hardly any is as widely misunderstood. Do more antioxidants automatically mean healthier? Short and direct: No. In the body, antioxidants work as a finely regulated network that strives for balance. Some of them are vitamins and minerals with a clearly authorised EU claim on cell protection - here you can be confident. Others are plant compounds without an authorised claim, which we describe neutrally. This overview cleanly separates the two. The basics are covered in What are antioxidants? and Free radicals & oxidative stress.

The key points at a glance

• Free radicals arise during normal metabolism; an imbalance is called oxidative stress.
• Some vitamins & minerals have an authorised EU claim on cell protection - vitamin C, E, riboflavin (B2), zinc, selenium, copper, manganese.
• Plant-based & endogenous antioxidants (OPC, quercetin, resveratrol, astaxanthin, Q10, glutathione) are described neutrally.
• A colourful, plant-rich diet is the broadest natural source.
• "More is better" does not apply here - the body needs a balance.

Free radicals and oxidative stress - why the body needs protection

Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that arise continuously during normal metabolism - for example during energy production in the mitochondria. In moderation they are even useful, for instance in immune defence. It becomes problematic when they get out of hand and overwhelm the body's own protective systems; this imbalance is called oxidative stress. Antioxidants are their counterparts: they intercept free radicals by donating an electron without becoming unstable themselves. What is decisive is the image of balance - the body regulates this system itself and does not need as many antioxidants as possible, but a suitable ratio.

Endogenous and supplied protective systems

One point that is often overlooked: when it comes to cell protection, your body does not depend on supply but has its own, very powerful protective systems - endogenous enzymes (such as superoxide dismutase, which uses zinc, copper and manganese as cofactors) and substances such as glutathione. Alongside these are the supplied antioxidants from food: vitamins, minerals (as a component of protective enzymes) and plant compounds. Both systems interlock. This explains why "swallowing more antioxidants" does not automatically mean more protection: the body regulates itself and counteracts any excess. It makes more sense to support your own systems through a good basic supply than to try to override them with high doses.

Antioxidants with an authorised cell-protection claim

Some antioxidants are classic nutrients - and for them there is an authorised health claim: these substances contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress (authorised wording). This is the confident, correct formulation: scientifically recognised and EU-authorised.

• Vitamin C - Vitamin C: effect & daily requirement
• Vitamin E - Vitamin E: antioxidant & effect
• Zinc - Zinc: effect & daily requirement
• Selenium - Selenium: effect & form
• Copper and manganese - Copper and Manganese

Why "more" can become a problem here

For many nutrients a certain rule of thumb applies that an adequate intake is good. With antioxidants the matter is subtler - and this is a point that serious nutritional science states clearly. Free radicals are not inherently "bad": the body uses them deliberately, for example in immune defence and as signalling molecules that tell cells to adapt. One example of this is the body's response to exercise - part of the training stimulus runs through short-term oxidative stress, to which the body adjusts. If these signals are permanently "buffered away" by blanket high doses of individual antioxidants, this can be counterproductive. This is precisely why the image of balance is so important and why the blanket motto "the more the better" is out of place here. The smart strategy: a good, varied basic supply through diet rather than isolated mega-doses - and targeted supplementation only where it makes sense.

Antioxidants from your diet: eat the rainbow

The broadest and most everyday-friendly source is not the tin but the plate. The colours of berries, peppers, tomatoes, kale or grapes come largely from plant compounds that count among the antioxidants. A few examples: vitamin C in peppers, berries, citrus fruits and broccoli; vitamin E in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds; selenium in Brazil nuts and fish; zinc in cheese, meat and seeds; lycopene in tomatoes (see Lycopene: effect & sources); lutein and zeaxanthin in green leafy vegetables (see Lutein & zeaxanthin for the eyes); the colour-giving polyphenols in grapes, berries and dark chocolate. This diversity can hardly be reproduced by a single supplement. Fitting reads: Nutrients when you eat little vegetables and Longevity: what's behind it?

Plant-based & other antioxidants - neutrally classified

Many well-known antioxidants are plant compounds or endogenous substances without an authorised claim. We describe them factually - what they are, where they come from, which forms exist:

• OPC (from grape seed & pine bark): OPC: grape seed vs. pine bark and Taking OPC correctly.
• Quercetin (a flavonoid): Quercetin: the flavonoid and Quercetin: bioavailability.
• Resveratrol (a polyphenol from grapes): Resveratrol: the polyphenol.
• Astaxanthin (red pigment from microalgae): Astaxanthin: the microalgae antioxidant.
• Coenzyme Q10 (endogenous): Q10: ubiquinol vs. ubiquinone.
• Glutathione & NAC: Glutathione and NAC.
• Alpha-lipoic acid and green tea (EGCG): Alpha-lipoic acid and Green tea extract (EGCG).

What research is investigating

Research has long been intensively studying the role of antioxidant substances in metabolism. What is established above all is that certain vitamins and minerals make a contribution to cell protection - which is why EU claims are authorised here. An interesting finding from nutritional science: antioxidants work as a network, not as lone fighters - so vitamin C, for example, can help to regenerate "used-up" vitamin E. For many individual plant compounds (OPC, quercetin, resveratrol, astaxanthin, among others), by contrast, the body of studies is not yet conclusive; for them, no health claims are currently authorised in the EU. A "the more, the better" expressly cannot be derived from research - on the contrary, the body strives for a balance.

Water-soluble or fat-soluble? Why that matters for absorption

Antioxidants differ not only by origin but also by their solubility - and this has practical consequences for intake. Water-soluble antioxidants such as vitamin C act mainly in the aqueous environment (blood, the inside of cells) and are usually absorbed independently of a meal. Fat-soluble ones such as vitamin E, astaxanthin, lycopene or lutein need some fat for good absorption and are therefore best taken with a meal containing fat. This also explains why the classic dietary recommendation "tomatoes with a little oil" is more than a kitchen tip: the fat-soluble lycopene becomes more available this way. Anyone who supplements should therefore best take fat-soluble substances with food - a small detail with a noticeable effect on bioavailability. The basics are in Bioavailability simply explained and Nutrients before or after eating.

What to look for when buying

• Bioavailability: Some plant compounds are poorly absorbed. With quercetin this is an issue, see Quercetin: bioavailability; in general, Bioavailability simply explained helps.
• Clear declaration: Which substance in which amount? See Reading the label correctly.
• Lab testing & few additives: see Lab-tested and Recognising additives.
• Realism instead of high doses: With antioxidants, more is not better - stick to the recommended intake.

The antioxidant network: why diversity beats high doses

An often overlooked point explains why a colourful diet is superior to the high-dose capsule: in the body, antioxidants work as a connected network. They sit in different places - some act in the watery interior of the cell (like vitamin C), others in the fatty cell membranes (like vitamin E). A well-known example: once vitamin E has intercepted a free radical, it is itself briefly "used up" - and vitamin C can help to bring it back into a usable state. In this way, water- and fat-soluble antioxidants interlock. It is precisely this interplay that a plant-rich diet delivers along the way: the whole network of vitamins, minerals and plant compounds instead of an isolated high dose of a single substance. Anyone who supplements in a targeted way should understand it as a building block that complements the diet - not as a replacement for it.

Honestly classified

The sensible approach to antioxidants is less spectacular than marketing suggests: a colourful, plant-rich diet brings the most; the authorised cell-protection claims concern some vitamins and minerals; and individual plant compounds are interesting additions but not miracle cures. Anyone who supplements in a targeted way sticks to the recommended intake and does not rely on high doses. In the case of persistent complaints: have them checked by a doctor.

Matching products from Scheunengut

You'll find antioxidant-active vitamins under Vitamins (e.g. Vitamin C and Vitamin E), and the matching minerals under Minerals. Well-known plant compounds are available individually, such as OPC, Astaxanthin and Coenzyme Q10. All products are lab-tested and made in Germany.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Are more antioxidants always better?

No. The body regulates the interplay of free radicals and antioxidants itself and strives for a balance. In moderation, free radicals are even useful. More sensible than high doses is a good basic supply - ideally through a colourful, plant-rich diet.

Which antioxidants have an authorised EU claim?

Authorised for the protection of cells from oxidative stress are, among others, vitamin C, vitamin E, riboflavin (B2) as well as the minerals zinc, selenium, copper and manganese. For plant compounds such as OPC, quercetin or resveratrol, by contrast, there are no authorised claims; they are described neutrally.

What is oxidative stress?

This is the name for an imbalance between free radicals and the body's own protective systems. Free radicals arise continuously during normal metabolism. Only when they get out of hand and overwhelm the protective systems does one speak of oxidative stress.

Can I cover antioxidants through my diet?

A colourful, plant-rich diet is the broadest natural source of antioxidant-active substances - the colours of berries, peppers, tomatoes and leafy vegetables come largely from such plant compounds. Targeted supplements are an addition, not a replacement for fruit and vegetables.