From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Subject: Re: Do minerals (oxidants) cancel out antioxidants?
Date: 04 Oct 1996
Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition

In <52u2rv$gcp@tofu.alt.net> milner@townsqr.com (Maribeth Milner)
writes:

>   On my last visit to the doctor, I told him that my vericose veins
>(that I've had since age 12) have begun to fade since I started taking
>100 IU's of E twice a day (along with some fish oil - at meals).  The
>ensuing discussion left me confused.
>
>   My  doctor said that since minerals are oxidants, they counter the
>positive impact of antioxidants.  He didn't recommend taking
>supplements, but, if I did, I should just take vitamins.  So:
>
>-do minerals counteract antioxidants?  (if they do, that may be why my
>veins are fading now with 200 IU's per day as opposed to nothing
>happening when I took the 30 IU's in my multiple vitamin/minerals that
>I've taken for years?)
>
>-is there a simple (short) list of foods that one chould eat daily to
>get the needed minerals?
>
>   I'm new to this list, so I apologise in advance if you have already
>beaten this issue to death..
>
>Maribeth
>milner@townsqr.com



   Some minerals are used by the body to make antioxidants (copper,
selenium).  Others don't really have oxidant or antioxidant properties
either one (magnesium, calcium).  About the only consistant "oxidant"
mineral I can think of is iron, which when free catalyzes the Fenton
reaction.  Copper will do this also, but isn't free very much in the
body.  For that matter, neither is iron-- bacteria love it too much for
the body to let much of it stay around in free ionic form.

   Your varicose veins probably are healing with E because the dose you
are taking now (though not before) is enough to actually affect blood
clotting just a bit-- sort of in a pharmaceutical way.  This keeps vein
clots at bay, and cuts down on the chronic vein damage done by such
small clots in bad or damaged vein valves.  Aspirin and bioflavonoids
(which are both antiplatelet agents) do the same sort of thing.  Don't
worry about taking mineral supplements.  Do try to get citrus pulp,
cherries, blackberries, blueberries, Concord grapes, red wine and green
tea for those flavonoids.


                                          Steve Harris, M.D.