ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the state of the literature on antioxidant nutraceuticals for the prevention of preeclampsia. It also reviews a historical understanding of preeclampsia, along with historical dietary interventions. The chapter explains the hypothesized mechanism behind why antioxidant nutraceuticals could prevent preeclampsia, the topics of oxidative stress, free radicals, and discusses how antioxidants address oxidative stress. Oxidative stress, in particular, has been singled out as a focus in preeclampsia, because it is believed to be at the root cause of many chronic diseases. Oxidative stress can be characterized as an overproduction of free radicals and the hypothesis is that oxidative stress can deplete the body's stores of antioxidants, increasing a woman's risk of preeclampsia. The chapter describes reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage. ROS are either derived from normal essential metabolic processes, or from external sources such as X-rays and air pollutants.
