Antioxidants up in smoke From the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
Antioxidants are believed to be important against free radicals,
which can damage cells. But a study says kids’ antioxidants can
drop when they breathe secondhand smoke. At the University of
Rochester Medical Center, in New York, Karen Wilson checked data
on antioxidants in more than 2,000 children and teens ages 6 and
18: [Karen Wilson speaks] "Over most antioxidants, the levels in
children who were exposed to secondhand smoke were lower than in
children who were not exposed to secondhand smoke." Wilson says
children should be protected from secondhand smoke. For kids who
are exposed, it may be especially important to eat lots of
fruits and vegetables. Wilson’s study, presented at a meeting of
the Pediatric Academic Society, was supported by the National
Institutes of Health. Learn more at hhs.gov. HHS HealthBeat is a
production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
I’m Ira Dre