The Dance of the Free Radicals and Antioxidants
These days the catch word in the health and wellness industry is the often-heard antioxidant term. It probably sounds like “antioxidants for your health, for longevity and anti aging, for living healthy lives”. But do you know what these antioxidants are? How they work? Logical conjecture would most likely lead you to conclude that antioxidants combat “oxidants” in the body. But how do they work? What is the antioxidant oxidant battle really about? Let’s delve deeper into cell oxidation and free radicals.
It’s interesting to note that the entire issue of cell “health” in the body really boils down to bioelectric imbalances. And this imbalance usually occurs when the cells convert nutrients into energy. Atoms or molecules in our bodies that somehow lose an electron become unstable, making them a free radical, or an “oxidant”. They will then try to take another electron from its immediate surrounding in an attempt to stabilize again. In doing so it has made the nearby molecule also unstable, or a free radical. It too will search to replace its missing electron by doing the same thing. The free radical action becomes a chain reaction. This reaction leaves cellular damage in its wake, causing the aging of a cell and in extreme cases, a cancerous cell.
Free radicals tend to be derived from the oxygen molecule because it has a higher tendency to lose an electron. It is a paradoxical molecule because we need it to survive and metabolize food into energy. But when it becomes a “reactive oxygen species” it creates cellular damage in its wake.
About 5% of the energy produced by the mitochondria in our cells is turned into free radical oxygen molecules. The mitochondria are our bodies’ energy factories. They take the nutrients from food and create water and energy in our bodies. Unfortunately, they are also a source of free radical creation. The other source or cause of free radicals in the body is when there is any kind of trauma happening upon the body such as an infection.
It’s amazing how such an integral molecule for our survival, can also be a harbinger of cell destruction. But nature has substances that counteract the damaging effect of free radicals. These are the antioxidants. These compounds can come from our diet or can be ready made by our own bodies. They can be vitamins, enzymes or amino acids.
Free radical damage to the cell is very complex. Scientists at first believed that free radicals damaged the cells by attacking the nucleus. It was discovered later that the damaged began initially at the lipid filled cell wall. The free radical destabilizes the oxygen in the cell wall creating oxidized fat. This fat then proceeds to attach the interior of the cell and the DNA through proinflammatory chemicals that keep on being propagated through the chain reaction of free radicals. Free radicals cause cell inflammation that in turn causes aging of the cell. Antioxidants can stop free radicals before they even reach the cell membrane, minimizing cell inflammation.
Enter the Anti Oxidants
Most of the antioxidants needed to stop free radical damage can be found in specific nutritional foods. But the human body also makes its own defense against free radicals.
The main antioxidant created by the human cells is called Glutathione. It is released by the cells when there’s a free radical attack. It is a tripeptide consisting of 3 different amino acids. These are glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine. It is considered to be the “Master Antioxidant”. It detoxifies at the cellular level, and it also boosts the immune system.
When cells undergo too much inflammation and oxidation, the body’s levels of Glutathione are used and then depleted to de-oxify the free radicals that caused the cell inflammation. Glutathione is made in the body by the cells. There are natural substances in the form of supplements that you can take to increase Glutathione production. There are also a few pharmaceuticals that can also help create it. This antioxidant is the most important one, so it is good to learn how “keep production up”.
Increasing Glutahione production the natural way really simply involves eating the right vegetables. These vegetables are high in Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) which promote the synthesis of Glutathione in the cells. The vegetables that contain ALA are tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, rice bran, peas, cauliflower, kale, bok choi, cress, mustard, horse radish, avocados, red beets, rosemary, grape seed extract, bilberry extract, and pine bark (which has Pycnogenols), and turmeric.
Supplements to also improve the production of Glutathione are B vitamins, and Dimethylglycine or DMG for short.
Other Antioxidants
There are many different substances in food that offer antioxidant protection. Some of these by name are cartenoids, xanthophylls, flavonoids, flavon-3-ols, catechins, resveratrol, indoles, glucosinolates, omega 3 fatty acids. Even some vitamins and chemicals are considered antioxidants such as vitamin E, sulfur, and vitamins A, C, B and D. The list goes on and it would be quite a long article to go into all of them.
In conclusion, all anti oxidants have three things in common. One-They are more attractive to free radicals than the surrounding tissue so that the free radical can be contained and diffused before they damage the cell. Two- They have to be non toxic to the body. Three- They have to be able to be fat soluble in order to be able to penetrate the cell plasma membrane, and be able to stop any damage of it. The free radical damage begins at the cell plasma membrane and it triggers damage from there to the entire cell.
Acid free save alot of $
|
|
Aerobie 80R08 AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker … |
|
|
Junket rennet tablets for custard and ice cream – 8 Ea $1.59 INDICATIONS: Junket Rennet Tablets for making rennet custard and ice cream. Junket Rennet Tablets Directions enclosed for making custard, cottage cheese, sugar free desserts, ice cream and other desserts…. |
|
|
Junket Rennet Tablets 8 Ct. – 12 Unit Pack $24.00 Rennet tablets coagulate milk for cheese making and are used in a variety of desserts. Easy to keep on hand for quick holiday cooking and baking…. |
|
|
Tommy (Deluxe Edition) (Hybrid SACD) $19.61 Tommy had the dubious distinction of being the first-ever rock opera; however, it’s none the worse for that, Ken Russell’s adaptation notwithstanding. Due largely to Pete Townshend’s skill as a songwriter and composer, Tommy tells a coherent story and includes quality rock and roll at the same time, an impressive feat by itself. While surprisingly more linear than the later Quadrophenia, Tommy boa… |
|
|
Olay Acne Control Face Wash, 6.70-Ounce (Pack of 2) $9.58 This salicylic acid acne cleanser lathers and deep cleans to eliminate most acne blemishes for consistently clear skin…. |
|
|
Olay Blackhead Clearing Scrub, 6-Ounce (Pack of 2) $11.78 Salicylic acid acne treatment EXFOLIATES AND DEEP CLEANS to the pore to remove excess oil and eliminate most blackheads…. |
|
|
Victor M256 Poison-Free Insect Magnet Traps, 12-Pack $4.99 @@@@%Victor Poison-Free Insect Magnet 12 pk Model M256 %0D%0ABest Used For: This 12pk of insect glue traps attracts and traps roaches, spiders, ants, scorpions, centipedes, silverfi… |
|
|
UltraTech UT-1240 12V, 4.5Ah Sealed Lead Acid Alarm Battery UT1240 ISO9002 $8.99 The UltraTech Power Products UT 1240 is a 12V 4.5 AMP Sealed Lead Acid Battery… |
|
|
Sunforce 60032 30 Amp Digital Charge Controller $78.52 The Sunforce 60032 30 Amp Digital Charge Controller prevents overcharging of 12 volt batteries. It is intended for use with 12 volt solar panels, and can handle up to 30 amps of array current and up to 450 Watts of solar power. The controller will continuously display the charging current or battery voltage on the LCD digital meter, and also automatically indicates the charged condition of your ba… |
|
|
The Manson Family … |