Prevention of Oxidative Stress and Diseases by Antioxidant Supplementation.

Excessive and uncontrolled oxidative stress can damage biomacromolecules, such as lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and DNA, by free radical and oxidant overproduction. In this review, we critically discuss the main properties of free radicals, their implications in oxidative stress, and specific pathological conditions. In clinical medicine, oxidative stress can play a role in several chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular, inflammatory, neurodegenerative diseases, and tumours. Antioxidant supplements can theoretically prevent or stop the progression of diseases, but a careful literature analysis finds that more evidence is needed to dissect the ultimate beneficial effect of antioxidants versus reactive oxygen species in several diseases.

Oxidative stress, aging, antioxidant supplementation and their impact on human health: An overview.

Aging is characterized by a progressive loss of tissue and organ function due to genetic and environmental factors, nutrition, and lifestyle. Oxidative stress is one the most important mechanisms of cellular senescence and increased frailty, resulting in several age-linked, noncommunicable diseases. Contributing events include genomic instability, telomere shortening, epigenetic mechanisms, reduced proteome homeostasis, altered stem-cell function, defective intercellular communication, progressive deregulation of nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, and metabolic unbalance. These complex events and their interplay can be modulated by dietary habits and the ageing process, acting as potential measures of primary and secondary prevention. Promising nutritional approaches include the Mediterranean diet, the intake of dietary antioxidants, and the restriction of caloric intake. A comprehensive understanding of the ageing processes should promote new biomarkers of risk or diagnosis, but also beneficial treatments oriented to increase lifespan.

[New frontiers of therapy: bibliotherapy.] / Le nuove frontiere della terapia: la biblioterapia.

Authors discuss therapeutic potential of reading activity, partially still unknown. Starting from Menninger's work in the early 30's until most recent studies from Frude, Berns, Comer who confirmed its efficacy in both the so-called non-organic diseases and chronic pathological conditions. Their studies strongly suggested psychobiological mechanisms through which reading activity exerts its therapeutic effects. The Authors of this paper hope that bibliotherapy in the next future may become a suitable tool in the therapeutical management of the these diseases.