Friday, 28 November, 2025
London, October 21, 2025
A groundbreaking study published in Redox Biology by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has revealed that excessive intake of antioxidants—long believed to be universally protective—may in fact damage heart tissue. The study challenges decades of medical assumptions and carries particular importance for countries like Bangladesh, where cardiac disease and unregulated supplement use are growing public-health concerns.
The research, titled “Reductive stress induces unresolved ER stress and proteotoxic cardiomyopathy,” is authored by Sini Sunny, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow, and Rajasekaran Namakkal-Soorappan, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology at UAB.
Traditionally, antioxidants and reducing agents have been lauded for protecting cells from oxidative stress. But the new findings suggest that when taken in excess, these compounds can swing the body’s internal chemistry in the opposite direction—toward reductive stress—which can be equally harmful.
According to the study, an overabundance of reducing activity disrupts the function of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)—the cellular machinery responsible for proper protein folding. This disruption leads to misfolded proteins, protein aggregation, and ultimately proteotoxic cardiomyopathy, a severe form of cardiac dysfunction.
“Our work challenges the long-held assumption that more antioxidants are always better,” Namakkal-Soorappan said. “We found that excessive reduction creates its own kind of stress—one that the heart cannot handle.”
Dr Farhan Ishrak Ahmed
Using advanced molecular and proteomic technologies, the research team demonstrated that prolonged reductive stress persistently activates stress sensors in heart cells. Instead of restoring balance, this state produces a toxic cellular environment that harms cardiomyocytes, the muscle cells that keep the heart functioning.
“The findings highlight the importance of maintaining a balanced cellular environment and bridge the gap between basic redox biology and clinical cardiology,” Sunny said. “We’re hopeful that this study paves the way for new strategies to diagnose and treat heart failure and other protein-misfolding disorders.”
Namakkal-Soorappan added that the findings support a shift away from broad antioxidant therapies and toward precision redox-modulation treatments, which may better address the complexities of cardiac and metabolic diseases.
Bangladesh’s pathology and public-health context: A growing concern
The study arrives at a critical moment for Bangladesh, where heart disease has become a leading cause of death and where public awareness of safe supplement practices remains limited.
High supplement consumption without regulation
In Bangladesh, the popularity of over-the-counter vitamins, herbal preparations, and antioxidant supplements has surged in recent years. Many of these products are marketed aggressively—with little regulatory oversight—promoting vague promises of “immunity boosting,” “anti-aging,” or “energy enhancement.” Physicians frequently warn that patients are consuming high doses of antioxidants such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and glutathione without medical guidance.
Rising burden of heart disease
Bangladesh already faces a heavy cardiac disease burden, driven by diabetes, hypertension, pollution, and sedentary urban lifestyles. Cardiologists at major hospitals—including NICVD, BSMMU, and numerous private cardiac centres—report an increasing number of younger patients presenting with cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Experts say that excessive supplement use, particularly among urban middle-class consumers, may be compounding risks that are already high due to genetic and environmental factors.
Gap in diagnostic capacity
Pathology laboratories in Bangladesh are improving but still face challenges in advanced protein-misfolding diagnostics, redox-balance testing, and molecular cardiology. As a result, conditions such as proteotoxic cardiomyopathy are likely underdiagnosed or misinterpreted as generic heart failure.
Public-health implications
Specialists argue that the new UAB findings should prompt Bangladesh’s health authorities to:
The study underscores the need for balanced approaches to health—both in clinical science and in public behaviour. As antioxidant supplement use rises in Bangladesh, the research serves as a timely reminder that “too much of a good thing” can carry its own dangers.
Comments
London, October 21, 2025
A groundbreaking study published in Redox Biology by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has revealed that excessive intake of antioxidants—long believed to be universally protective—may in fact damage heart tissue. The study challenges decades of medical assumptions and carries particular importance for countries like Bangladesh, where cardiac disease and unregulated supplement use are growing public-health concerns.
The research, titled “Reductive stress induces unresolved ER stress and proteotoxic cardiomyopathy,” is authored by Sini Sunny, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow, and Rajasekaran Namakkal-Soorappan, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology at UAB.
Traditionally, antioxidants and reducing agents have been lauded for protecting cells from oxidative stress. But the new findings suggest that when taken in excess, these compounds can swing the body’s internal chemistry in the opposite direction—toward reductive stress—which can be equally harmful.
According to the study, an overabundance of reducing activity disrupts the function of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)—the cellular machinery responsible for proper protein folding. This disruption leads to misfolded proteins, protein aggregation, and ultimately proteotoxic cardiomyopathy, a severe form of cardiac dysfunction.
“Our work challenges the long-held assumption that more antioxidants are always better,” Namakkal-Soorappan said. “We found that excessive reduction creates its own kind of stress—one that the heart cannot handle.”
Dr Farhan Ishrak Ahmed
Using advanced molecular and proteomic technologies, the research team demonstrated that prolonged reductive stress persistently activates stress sensors in heart cells. Instead of restoring balance, this state produces a toxic cellular environment that harms cardiomyocytes, the muscle cells that keep the heart functioning.
“The findings highlight the importance of maintaining a balanced cellular environment and bridge the gap between basic redox biology and clinical cardiology,” Sunny said. “We’re hopeful that this study paves the way for new strategies to diagnose and treat heart failure and other protein-misfolding disorders.”
Namakkal-Soorappan added that the findings support a shift away from broad antioxidant therapies and toward precision redox-modulation treatments, which may better address the complexities of cardiac and metabolic diseases.
Bangladesh’s pathology and public-health context: A growing concern
The study arrives at a critical moment for Bangladesh, where heart disease has become a leading cause of death and where public awareness of safe supplement practices remains limited.
High supplement consumption without regulation
In Bangladesh, the popularity of over-the-counter vitamins, herbal preparations, and antioxidant supplements has surged in recent years. Many of these products are marketed aggressively—with little regulatory oversight—promoting vague promises of “immunity boosting,” “anti-aging,” or “energy enhancement.” Physicians frequently warn that patients are consuming high doses of antioxidants such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and glutathione without medical guidance.
Rising burden of heart disease
Bangladesh already faces a heavy cardiac disease burden, driven by diabetes, hypertension, pollution, and sedentary urban lifestyles. Cardiologists at major hospitals—including NICVD, BSMMU, and numerous private cardiac centres—report an increasing number of younger patients presenting with cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Experts say that excessive supplement use, particularly among urban middle-class consumers, may be compounding risks that are already high due to genetic and environmental factors.
Gap in diagnostic capacity
Pathology laboratories in Bangladesh are improving but still face challenges in advanced protein-misfolding diagnostics, redox-balance testing, and molecular cardiology. As a result, conditions such as proteotoxic cardiomyopathy are likely underdiagnosed or misinterpreted as generic heart failure.
Public-health implications
Specialists argue that the new UAB findings should prompt Bangladesh’s health authorities to:
The study underscores the need for balanced approaches to health—both in clinical science and in public behaviour. As antioxidant supplement use rises in Bangladesh, the research serves as a timely reminder that “too much of a good thing” can carry its own dangers.
Comments
