Antioxidants and their role in our health and disease

The study was conducted to review the important role of antioxidants in human health and disease. Early research on the role of antioxidants in biology focused on their use in preventing the oxidation of unsaturated fats, which is the cause of rancidity. An antioxidant can be defined as: “any substance that when present in low concentrations compared to that of an oxidisable substrate, significantly delays or inhibits the oxidation of that substrate”. Oxidative damage in DNA can cause cancer. Several antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase etc. protect DNA from oxidative stress. It has been proposed that polymorphisms in these enzymes are associated with DNA damage and subsequently the individual's risk of cancer susceptibility