Friday, May 21, 2010

Antioxidants Beneficial if Not Overdone

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc
May 12 2010

Antioxidants like vitamins E and C are beneficial to exercising horses, but only at recommended levels, reported Carey Williams, PhD, equine extension specialist and associate director of the Rutgers University Equine Science Center. Williams presented this information in her talk titled "Antioxidant Research and Its Application to Feeding Horses" at the 2010 Kentucky Equine Research (KER) Nutrition Conference held April 26-27.

Oxidation is the biochemical process by which energy is created for cells to maintain both integrity and function. When not all of the oxygen is consumed during oxidation, damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced.

"These ROS damage DNA, lipids, and contribute to degenerative changes such as aging and cancer," said Williams. "Antioxidants may prevent damage by scavenging ROS, decreasing the conversion of less reactive ROS to more reactive ROS, assisting the repair of damage caused by ROS, and providing a favorable environment for other antioxidants."

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=16334.

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