Cape Branch: Dietary antioxidants, do we really need them? An update

The impact of dietary phytochemical antioxidants on health has been the focus of many studies and reviews in the past. When considering the important role oxidative stress plays in the development of many diseases, well-designed clinical investigations are critical to helping us understand if these dietary plant components can support our endogenous antioxidant defence system and modulate the development and progression of the disease. To date, these studies have yielded conflicting data, as the in vitro antioxidant effects cannot always be directly translated to an in vivo effect. Leaving the consumer, still asking the question "Do we need dietary antioxidants, and if so, what is the recommended intake?" We explore data on the daily intake of fruits and vegetables and how it equates to antioxidant intake and conclude with a dietary guideline for the daily intake of flavan-3-ol, a subgroup of flavonoids based on its moderately improved cardiometabolic health outcomes.