Oxidative stress plays a major part in the development of chronic and degenerative diseases such as cancer, arthritis, aging, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and Europe and is poised to become the most significant health problem worldwide. Reactive nitrogen species are involved in the regulation of cardiovascular motor tone, modulation of myocardial contractility, control of cell proliferation and inhibition of platelet activation, aggregation, and adhesion. Cellular constituents of our body are altered in oxidative stress conditions, resulting in various disease states. The oxidative stress can be effectively neutralized by enhancing cellular defenses in the form of antioxidants. To understand the mechanism of action of antioxidants, it is necessary to understand the generation of free radicals and their damaging reactions.
A significant number of neurological diseases are pathogenetically related to oxidative stress, including but not limited to cerebrovascular afflictions such as ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and so on. Natural nutrients may help limit the impact of oxidative stress and, therefore, delay or prevent the impairment of these diseases. Although these natural components have not entered routine use, many have been studied in preclinical or even clinical settings with promising results. Therefore, the need to find the stage of the research in the field of validating the properties and clinical usefulness of such nutrients represents the main reason this narrative review was conducted. This analysis explored the PubMed database for papers related to the influence of natural nutrients on the onset and evolution of some of the most severe neurological disorders. The results of the review provide an overview of the pathways oxidative stress may undertake and how the use of nutrients may counteract these pathways. In conclusion, natural nutrients may have beneficial effects that can be impactful on clinical outcomes, but more good quality research in this field is needed before formulating any clear recommendation.
