Antioxidants and Free Radicals
Our Bodies and Free Radicals
Airborn emissions, sunlight, chlorination, chemical sources
and pollution may create free radical damage to our body's cells
causing oxidation.
Just
what are free radicals?
Simply stated a free radical
is an atom or molecule with an unpaired electron. Unpaired
electrons make for very unstable highly reactive atoms and/or
molecules. Paired electrons by way of contrast, are the
characteristic of a far more stable state. Researcher and
writer, Michael Dye, explains it this way.
"This is a very hazardous, unnatural and unstable state, because
electrons normally come in pairs. This odd, unpaired electron in
a free radical cause it to collide with other molecules so it
can steal an electron from them, which changes the structure of
these other molecules and causes them to also become free
radicals. This can create a self perpetuating chain reaction, in
which the structure of millions of molecules are affected in a
matter of nanoseconds (a nanosecond is a billionth of a second),
wreaking havoc with our DNA, protein molecules, enzymes and
cells."
How do
free radicals get into our bodies?
- From Within - as natural by-products of ongoing
biochemical reactions occurring in normal metabolic
functions, in the detoxification processes and in the
immune system defence.
- From Outside - free radicals (better yet! - free
radical
generating substances - Ed) can be found in the food
we eat, in our water supplies (especially after chemicals
and pollutants have entered into them), drugs and
medicine we ingest and the air we breathe.
- Our environment contributes immensely to the
spread
of free radicals, as do processes like drugs, radiation,
pesticides, air pollutants, solvents, fried foods, alcohol,
tobacco smoke, etc. - All the things most of us are
exposed to all the time.
What Can We Do?
"Free Radical Scavengers" (anti-oxidants) are key elements in
the defence system, which the body uses in order to neutralise
the activity of these free radicals.
Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene and Selenium among other
nutritional benefits, have strong anti-oxidant properties. We
assume that you are already quite familiar with these important
nutrients and take them on a regular basis.
What you probably don't know about and what you need to find out
about are the powerful free radical scavengers called
proanthocyandins ('Pycnogenols'). As free radical scavengers,
these substances are 50 times more powerful than Vitamin E and
at least 20 times stronger than Vitamin C (one report we have
seen indicates 1000 times stronger).
An even more recent discovery is Curcuminoids which are nature's
most powerful and aggressive antioxidants known today, which are
about 3 times more powerful than antioxidants from white and
maritime pine bark and grape seed OPC extracts.
With the combination of these new discoveries we are now able to
combat the effects that free radicals have on our bodies.
|
|
