Nutrient antioxidants in gastrointestinal diseases

Oxygen radicals play a central role in the pathogenesis of many gastrointestinal diseases, including pancreatitis; ulcer disease; inflammatory bowel disease; malignancy in the upper, middle, and lower gastrointestinal tract; and chronic hepatic injury in a number of conditions. The body has developed an elaborate antioxidant defense network to neutralize the generation of reactive oxygen species. Much of this antioxidant defense depends on an adequate supply of nutrients, vitamins, and trace elements. Recent biological, animal, and clinical studies demonstrate that nutritional antioxidants can ameliorate the deleterious consequences of excessive oxygen radical attack. This article reviews the role of oxidative stress in gastrointestinal disease, and discusses the potential role of nutrient antioxidants as therapeutic agents.