What Is A Free Radical
What is a free radical? It is an atom, but to spare the confusion as to how these particular atoms work. I thought it would be better to just explain the causes of free radicals on the human body.
Free radicals can be compared to an apple, cut up an apple and leave it exposed to the air, the apple will turn brown in a matter of minutes; this is how free radicals work. Only you don’t turn brown, you turn wrinkly!
Even though we cannot stop the aging process, we can take steps to improving our health as we age, and keep ourselves looking younger and feeling healthier.
You do this by including antioxidants into your diet, because antioxidants will help fight them.
Smoking, sun exposure, exercising, pollution, exposure to toxic chemicals all contribute to creating free radicals in our body.
They are also produced by our breath, every time we breathe we are generating free radicals in the body. Because of this reaction with oxygen, these radicals may reduce oxygen supply to our cells.
So, unless you stop exercising, never go in the sun and perhaps stop breathing, you may have a chance of stopping these pesky little radicals. Although, this probably isn’t the safest way, as you won’t be around to notice a difference.
Definition of Free Radicals
The body produces them to aid in the metabolic processes; this is the digestion and conversion of food into energy. It is when the body produces too many of them, that it can become quite dangerous.
We are continuously increasing their amount in the body due to the increasing toxins in our living and working environment. Suffice to say, we live in a very toxic environment!
Free radicals (or this atom) will combine and react chemically with other molecules.
They can virtually damage any molecule in our body, and this kind of damage leads to more free radicals. Collagen is very susceptible to these radicals, and when this happens, it causes your skin to become saggier and weaker, therefore it is very important to stop this chain reaction in our bodies.
The problem is, they are not meant to combine with these other molecules and when they do, it produces what is called oxidation, hence the brown apple theory, aging meaning wrinkles.
Our bodies produce enzymes which neutralise free radicals, but enzymes can’t do this on their own they need antioxidants from our diet to help. Antioxidants destroy them by feeding the radicals electrons and rendering them harmless.
As we age, we produce even more of them, which can inflict even greater damage causing diseases such as cancer, hearth disease, arthritis, diabetes and even premature death.
It certainly makes sense to have a diet high in antioxidants, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and take supplements such as vitamins E and C.
Many other supplements like wheatgrass is very good, if you are unable to get enough green vegetables into your daily life. Wheatgrass is great for helping eliminate the causes of free radicals.
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October 11th, 2010 at
free radicals are the number stuff that causes aging and kills our body slowly but surely”-`
May 30th, 2011 at
I was trying to read up on free radicals and came across your web site.
You have done a great job of dumbing this down for me and I now have a better grasp of what all the hub bub is about with this stuff.
I’m a pretty good fresh vegetable eater, but I can also see that I can work more into my diet.