Free Radicals
Definition: As the body uses oxygen, these by-products cause oxidative damage to the cells of the body. Free radicals come from smoking, pollution, poisons, fried foods, and as a by-product of normal metabolism. Free radical damage is associated with an increased risk of many chronic diseases. "Antioxidants" can reduce the damage caused by free radicals.
Free radicals are agreed upon by leading health experts to be the prime cause of serious diseases including; cancer, blocking of the arteries (atherosclerosis), ageing (associated with age related joint deterioration), nervous system degradation arthritis, heart disease, cataracts, skin wrinkling and even the ageing process itself. In various laboratory studies, Lycopene has been found to possess the most protective effects against free radical damage.
Free radicals damage two types of body structures:
Cellular structures- These cellular components are the areas most vulnerable to free-radical attack, and damage to these structures is the origin of the aging process.
-DNA damage, results in cancers.
-Mitochondrial damage, results in cell death and ageing.
-Telomere damage accelerates the shortening of genetic structures called telomeres.
Shortening of telomeres hastens the genetically pre-programmed time of death.
Tissue and organ structures -Damage to these structures results in chronic disease.
-Nerve damage results in memory loss.
-Immune system damage results in cancers, infections, inflammatory conditions and auto-immune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, chronic fatigue).
-Skin damage results in wrinkles and sagging.
-Eye damage results in macular degeneration.
-Blood vessels damage results in heart disease.
-Liver damage results in chronic toxicity and impaired liver function.
-There are many other examples, too numerous to mention.
Some free radicals are formed through normal metabolic processes, but our modern day free radical overload is the result of exposure to pollutants, cigarette smoke, pesticides on food, stress, muscle contraction during exercise, smoking cigarettes, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, exposure to x-rays, exposure to UVA sunlight, especially if sunburned, taking some drugs - especially antibiotics or paracetamol, radiation and many other everyday elements of environmental pollution.
It is this free radical bombardment that has made antioxidants so important to our health and avoidance of disease “Antioxidants attach to the free radicals through their unpaired electrons and form a complex that prevents cell destruction and is easily cleaned out as waste by our body. The result is less cell damage and a healthier immune system, among other benefits.” Reports: U.S. Pharmacist magazine.
Most people know that physical activity is good for health. However, in one of the ironies of biology, regular and strenuous exercise can increase formation of dangerous free radicals. These rogue molecules damage cell membranes, proteins, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) - the material that forms your genes. The long-term consequences may be faster ageing and an increased risk of cancer. Lester Packer, PhD, of the University of California, Berkeley, has conducted extensive research on how exercise stimulates production of free radicals and how antioxidants minimize their damage. He reviewed his findings and those of other researchers in a recent article in the Journal of Sports Sciences. Normally, "there is a delicate balance between oxidants [free radicals] and antioxidants in biological systems," Packer wrote. “Both are essential for converting food into energy.
Yet exercise, like disease, can tip the balance toward excessive free radical production .Most free radicals - molecules missing an electron - are produced when cells burn glucose and fats for energy. This energy is carried by electrons, which are largely contained within chemical reactions and by antioxidants. However, during exercise, oxygen consumption can increase 10-20 times, with electrons leaking beyond the energy-producing chemical reactions. When they do, they can overwhelm the body's antioxidant defenses and lead to large numbers of free radicals injuring nearby cells.”
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