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Anti Oxidants Better for You than Vitamin I for Pain |
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Written by Superhuman
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Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
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Are you popping Ibuprophen like candy every morning to survive the day? You might want to try something else. Drugs like aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (e.g., Advil) can cause ...
ulcers and stomach upset. Acetaminophen can cause liver toxicity, and narcotic pain relievers are habit-forming and can interfere with daily activities. Researchers from Ohio State University suggested that antioxidants might help relieve pain. Antioxidants help protect cells from the effects of destructive and highly reactive free radicals produced naturally during metabolism. Free radicals are linked to DNA damage, cell membrane destruction, immune system suppression, aging, cancer, heart disease and pain. Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, and vitamins C, E and A. The scientists injected a drug that caused inflammation in mice paws and measured how long the animals licked their injuries. Animals given experimental antioxidants (PBN, TEMPOL and NAC) suffered more than 70 percent less pain. Antioxidant therapy might be a good alternative in treating chronic pain and may promote general health at the same time. (Behavioural Brain Research, 173: 211-6, 2006)
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