Scientists at the University of Erlangen - Nuremberg (Germany) have found that hydroquinones found in chocolate, tea, wine and coffee, in combination with zinc, prevent oxidative stress and slow down the aging process. This was announced in a press release on Phys.org.
Researchers have shown that zinc activates the hydroquinone groups found in polyphenols, compounds made up of an aromatic ring and two hydroxyl groups. As a result, the molecule begins to neutralize superoxide, which is an oxygen ion with an unpaired electron and belongs to radicals. Superoxides provoke oxidative stress in the cell when proteins, lipids and DNA are damaged.
Zinc and polyphenols combine to form an organometallic compound that is able to function in the same way as the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which promotes dismutation of superoxide to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.
According to one theory, it is the cellular damage that accumulates due to free radicals that leads to the aging of the body. However, in addition to superoxide, an important role in this process is played by