Everybody talks about Free Radicals, but what are they?
Probably you have heard about free radicals and their link with aging. However, there are much more about them that can be useful to be aware of in order to promote better health now and in the future.
Let’s find out a bit.
1- What are free radicals?
Free radicals are oxygen molecules with an uneven number of electrons. This electron uneven condition makes them unstable and, as a result, they seek out to take electrons from other molecules. When they react with other molecules (by stealing their electrons), we have a process called OXIDATION.
Oxidation is a normal process when free radicals help us fight infections or start an inflammation process that helps to repair tissue injury for example. The problem occurs when we have excessive amounts of free radicals, and our body is not able to deal with this excess. This imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant activity is called oxidative stress and can start damaging some tissues, DNA, and proteins in our bodies. This damage, besides contributing to aging, can lead to several diseases over time, such as:
Inflammatory conditions
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart Disease
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
Cancer
2- What are the sources of free radicals?
We naturally produce free radicals in our bodies through some processes like exercise and inflammation. However, we can be overexposed to or start to "over-produce" free radicals under some conditions like:
Environmental - radiation from the sun, cigarette smoke, air and water pollution, pesticides and herbicides in the food we eat.
Exercise - excessive exercise or inconsistent but vigorous exercise uses a high amount of the body’s oxygen stored and as a result, generates excessive free radicals.
Stress – The chemicals produced by mental stress can create free radicals.
A diet high in sugar, fat, and alcohol may also contribute to free radical production.
3- How can we combat free radicals?
Antioxidants are molecules that can safely donate an electron to a free radical and still remain stable. This reaction can stop the cycle of cell damage.
How can we increase our antioxidant intake?
By increasing the intake of antioxidant substances on our diet.
Good sources of antioxidants are:
a) Fruits and veggies like berries, cherries, citrus fruits, prunes, dark leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes.
b) Other good sources are fish, nuts, vitamin C, vitamin E, turmeric, green tea, onion, garlic, cinnamon.
So… How is your antioxidant intake nowadays? Have you been giving a hand to your body to fight the oxidation stress?
Remember that information is a powerful instrument when we are able to apply to our daily lives through simple healthier choices. So, take a beautiful bowl of berries and enjoy!
Sincerely,
Carla Righi
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/oxidative-stress#risk-factors
https://www.maurerfoundation.org/what-are-free-radicals/