# Why "Antioxidant" is a Misleading Term **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Tags:** clinicalbiochemistry, medical\ **Created:** [March 16, 2026, 4:56am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901 "2026-03-16T04:56:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Abhinaya](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/abhinaya/32/3193_2.png) [@Abhinaya](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Abhinaya)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 4:56am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/1 "2026-03-16T04:56:59Z")
​ **We’ve discussed how the liver handles fuel, but what about how it handles stress?** ​I often tell my students that “antioxidant” is one of the most abused terms in nutritional science. We tend to think of them as sponges that just soak up free radicals, but the biochemistry is far more elegant. ​Take **Glutathione** , our “Master Antioxidant.” It doesn’t just neutralize a radical and disappear. It’s a dynamic, enzyme-driven cycle— **The Redox Relay.** It requires the rate-limiting enzyme **Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase** and a steady supply of NADPH from the Pentose Phosphate Pathway. ​When we give patients “antioxidant supplements” without addressing the underlying metabolic pathways that regenerate them (like supporting the PPP or ensuring adequate sulfur-containing amino acids), we are essentially giving them a bucket to catch a leak without fixing the pipe. ![Sponge vs Redox relay](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/uploads/medbound/original/2X/a/a90f98e343062b848f5830466a63fb4f92354e97.jpeg) ​_ **Do you think we’ve over-simplified “oxidative stress” in our patient counseling? How do you explain the difference between a “supplement” and a “metabolic cofactor” to your patients?** _ MBH/PS ---
**Author:** ![nikitagupta.bioinfo](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/nikitagupta.bioinfo/32/3229_2.png) [@nikitagupta.bioinfo](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/nikitagupta.bioinfo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/2 "2026-03-16T16:28:32Z")
You’ve captured the essence beautifully. Antioxidants aren’t passive sponges, they’re part of a living cycle. Glutathione’s redox relay depends on enzymes and NADPH supply, making pathway support as vital as the molecule itself. ---
**Author:** ![Sharpswap](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/sharpswap/32/3842_2.png) [@Sharpswap](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Sharpswap)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 1:17pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/3 "2026-03-17T13:17:31Z")
It is very well said. ---
**Author:** ![Abhinaya](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/abhinaya/32/3193_2.png) [@Abhinaya](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Abhinaya)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 5:11am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/4 "2026-04-21T05:11:28Z")
Beautifully put! And this is exactly where the supplement industry oversimplifies, selling isolated molecules while ignoring the enzymatic infrastructure they depend on. ---
**Author:** ![Abhinaya](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/abhinaya/32/3193_2.png) [@Abhinaya](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Abhinaya)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 5:12am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/5 "2026-04-21T05:12:04Z")
Thank you! The goal was to look at what’s actually happening at the redox level, glad it landed well! ---
**Author:** ![Bhakti\_aherrao](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/bhakti_aherrao/32/3811_2.png) [@Bhakti\_aherrao](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Bhakti_aherrao)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 6:04am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/6 "2026-04-21T06:04:42Z")
Interesting article. ---
**Author:** ![Drjulietruby](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/drjulietruby/32/3857_2.png) [@Drjulietruby](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Drjulietruby)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 9:53am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/7 "2026-04-21T09:53:01Z")
Yes, we just oversimplify antioxidants…We should not only concentrate on the molecules but also the network they operate in… ---
**Author:** ![Bhas\_B](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/bhas_b/32/3935_2.png) [@Bhas\_B](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Bhas_B)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 12:21pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/8 "2026-04-21T12:21:34Z")
Everything is labelled as containing antioxidants for the purpose of marketing. This is not just limited to nutritional science but skincare too. ---
**Author:** ![ayushinarang](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/ayushinarang/32/5772_2.png) [@ayushinarang](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/ayushinarang)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 8:53am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/9 "2026-08-24T08:53:19Z")
> [@Abhinaya](#): > > Do you think we’ve over-simplified “oxidative stress” in our patient counseling? How do you explain the difference between a “supplement” and a “metabolic cofactor” to your patients? Spot on! the word has become a massive marketing buzzword. Supplements are like a quick fix in a bottle whereas a metabolic cofactor lets the body synthesize and recycles its own internal defense system like glutathione, a cofactor just supports a pathway ensuring that the machinery of our body has fuel, enzymes and tools to do its job continuously. ---
**Author:** ![mansyy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@mansyy](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/mansyy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 12:31pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/why-antioxidant-is-a-misleading-term/15901/10 "2026-08-24T12:31:25Z")
Then as per the analogy of fixing the pipe, what should be done? To solve the issue of oxidative stress.