Chapter 35 - Disease prevention: oxidative stress control, antioxidants, and social factors

Abstract

It is estimated that almost one quarter of all disease globally and one third of disease in children under the age of five is caused by environmental exposures that can be averted. Disease prevention is dependent upon two interrelated factors; preventing overproduction of oxidative stress and maintaining essential levels of neutralizing endogenous and exogenous antioxidants. Causes of oxidative stress overproduction and antioxidant level maintenance include: air quality, water quality, environmental chemical exposure, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, diet, medications regularly taken, treating prevalent disease, psychological stress level and global warming. Some of these potentially be addressed by an individual to lower oxidative stress. Others, air pollution, for example, must be addressed by society as a whole. All are associated in a dose response relationship with oxidative stress and successful disease prevention is dependent upon lowering the oxidative stress dose.