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Purpose/Hypothesis |
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Purpose Which type of nutrient (Vitamin A, Vitamin E, or Vitamin C) is most effective for protecting cells against free radicals?
Hypothesis: Initially, it was hypothesized that Vitamin E would prove to be the most effective for protecting cells against free radicals.
Antioxidants are nutrients that have the capability of binding to free radicals and transforming them into non-damaging compounds. Free radicals are potentially damaging by-products, created during normal cell metabolism. Free radicals can damage cells and may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
Vitamin E is one of the best known antioxidants found in the human body. Its key biological function is to protect cells and their microbiological structures from oxidation and free radical damage. Vitamin E has also been proven to lessen or prevent the development of chronic diseases such as cataracts, immune-deficiency diseases, aging, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancers. Vitamin E has also been shown to play a role in metabolic processes, functions of the immune system, and in DNA repair. There are several enzyme systems inside of the body that scavenge free radicals; however one of the best ones has been proven to be vitamin E.
In spite of this, more recent studies have indicated that vitamin E might not have all of the benefits attributed to it earlier.
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