One of the biggest recent health trends is an almost obsessive focus on antioxidant vitamins and supplements. The idea is relatively simple: oxidative stress causes the production of peroxides and free radicals, which damage virtually all components of the cell. This leads to increased risk for a huge range of diseases ranging from heart disease to schizophrenia. Antioxidants combat oxidative stress, therefore preventing damage to the cells.

Sounds pretty good right?

The problem is it’s never that simple. Trying to pin down the causes of aging or a particular disease is like trying to pin down the root cause of crime. Some people commit crimes because they haven’t eaten in days, some because they have a mental disorder, still others because they lose control of their emotions. The same is true for the causes of aging and diseases. Heart disease, for example, is influenced by genetics, activity levels, sugar intake, transfat intake and dozens of other factors. The same is true for aging, and virtually all degenerative diseases.

That’s not to say antioxidants aren’t important, but it’s critical to realize that it’s never that clear cut.

Antioxidant Supplements

Not looking at antioxidants as the anti-aging miracle they’re often made out to be is important for two reasons.

The first is very simple: the health industry has a habit of promoting a single nutrient, or even a single molecule, as being the be-all-end-all of health and longevity. Uninformed health enthusiasts happily climb aboard, often ignoring various other factors. For example, products such as Sobe Green Tea are advertised as health products since they contain antioxidants, yet the drink is almost entirely made of sugar and water. In focusing so intently on one aspect of health, not only do we lose sight of the importance of a complex and holistic approach to improving our overall health, but we often turn a blind eye to unhealthy substances as well.

The second reason to question antioxidant supplements is far more complicated. I won’t go into an overly technical analysis of of the science behind various forms of antioxidants, but suffice to say there’s a lot more to it than most health enthusiasts believe.

I think the main issue here is that the general public places an incredible amount of trust in science, and more importantly, in secondhand interpretations of research. The truth is, science (and particularly nutritional science) is almost never clear cut.

A common conclusion for a research paper might be something like “the data suggests that people who get more antioxidants in their diets live longer and have lower rates of disease”.

Let’s break that down a little. First, the data only suggests that antioxidants are associated are associated with longer life and lower rates of disease. The scientists certainly aren’t sure of this. Moreover, the conclusions say nothing about whether antioxidants actually cause people to live longer or have less disease, or whether healthier people simply eat more fruits and vegetables, which have been shown to contribute to health in many other ways. Going back to the crime metaphor, it’s as if the research is saying that areas with higher crime have more police, but we wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that police cause crime.

Why the Science on Antioxidant Vitamins is Ambiguous

While there is some evidence that oxidative stress leads to aging and disease, and that antioxidants combat oxidative stress, there’s also some surprising counter-evidence. One 2007 study showed increased mortality (death rates) in people taking antioxidant supplements, while another 2010 study pointed to the role of oxidative stress in promoting longevity.

Following findings of oxidative stress extending life expectancy in Caenorhabditis elegans (a species of roundworm often used for experiments), it has been hypothesized that oxidative stress may produce an adaptive response from the body, therefore making it better suited to deal with future agents that might cause cellular damage.

This process is hypothesized to work similarly to the adaptations produced in exercise. Exercise creates micro-tears in muscle fibers, which are then repaired by the body and made stronger. This leads to better overall function of the muscles and organs.

The exercise example is particularly useful, since there is a wealth of data showing that regular exercise improves various markers of health, but exercise has also been shown to produce large amounts of oxidative stress. These findings run counter to the idea that all forms of oxidative stress cause aging and disease. Furthermore, regular antioxidant supplementation has been shown to actually inhibit some positive adaptions produced from exercise, such as increased insulin sensitivity.

Should I Supplement Antioxidant Vitamins?

While it seems that people with higher levels of antioxidants in their diets seem to live longer, supplementing antioxidants hasn’t been shown to increase life spam. As a health enthusiast, the best course of action is to focus on getting plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, and take a holistic approach to health, including eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep and reducing stress levels.

Whether or not you choose to supplement antioxidants, remember that there’s no one secret to health and longevity. Being healthy is involves an incredible number of different nutrients, hormones and processes within the body, and the worst thing we can do is try to narrow it down to one thing.