Zinc, combined with a molecule present in wine, coffee, tea or chocolate, would help fight against oxidative stress. A phenomenon which would be, among other things, responsible for aging.
“The main factor in aging is oxidative stress, declared to Top Health Dr Charles Vitello, morphologist and anti-aging doctor. It is a physiological phenomenon, that is to say normal, but potentiated by the accumulation of harmful waste for the cells. “ In fact, oxidative stress is not a form of mental stress. It is an oxidation of our body, due to an excess of harmful molecules – called free radicals – which come from the oxygen we breathe. This attack on our cells is therefore one of the causes of aging, but also of inflammation, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
According to researchers from Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) and Auburn University (United States), one way to combat this oxidative stress would be to consume zinc. Indeed, their results published last month in Nature chemistry show that this trace element would activate a particular organic molecule that protects against this phenomenon.
An antioxidant combination
Zinc is already used in the treatment of small and large diseases. Beyond its undeniable benefits on the skin, it has other organic functions on the nervous system, the prostate, the immune system and the healing process. It also plays a role in regulating the level of insulin in the blood. Scientists have thus newly discovered its protective action against superoxide, a free radical causing oxidative stress. However, to be effective, zinc must be combined with another organic compound found in wine, coffee, tea or chocolate: hydroquinone.
Hydroquinone is present in polyphenols, that is to say plant substances responsible for smell and taste. On its own, it cannot decompose superxoxide. But when zinc and hydroquinone combine, a metal complex is created. The latter mimics an enzyme called “superoxide dismutase” (SOD), which protects the body from oxidative stress. Thus, zinc activates hydroquinone, which in turn produces protection against oxidation.
This research paves the way for the creation of drugs or dietary supplements containing zinc, according to the researchers. They are also considering the possibility of adding zinc to foods naturally containing hydroquinone, to improve the health of consumers. “It is certainly possible that wine, coffee, tea or chocolate will in the future become available with an addition of zinc., they explain on the website of the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg. However, any alcohol content would destroy the positive effects of this combination. “
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