Oxidative stress is implicated in a long list of diseases, and you should take steps to protect yourself from the damage that free radicals may cause. Your options are simple to follow, yet powerful in the fight against free radicals. Avoid the factors that contribute to OS and switch to a diet of whole, organic, unprocessed foods, and add supplemental anti-oxidants for the best protection against this serious condition.
Oxidative Stress (OS) is a condition that can lead to or accelerate disease. OS occurs when the available supply of the body’s antioxidants is insufficient to handle and neutralize free radicals of different types. The result is massive cell damage that may result in compromised immunity, tissue breakdown, and cellular mutations.
Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that interact quickly and aggressively with other molecules in our bodies to create abnormal cells. They are capable of penetrating into the DNA of a cell and damaging its “blueprint” so that the cell will produce mutated cells that replicate without normal controls. Free radicals are unstable because they have unpaired electrons in their molecular structure. This causes them to react almost instantly to any substance in their vicinity. Oxygen free radicals are especially damaging.
Still, free radicals are involved in other normal cellular functions. For instance, when mitochondria within a cell burn glucose for fuel, the mitochondria oxidize the glucose resulting in free radicals. White blood cells use free radicals to attack and destroy bacteria, viruses, and virus-infected cells. The liver needs free radicals to help with detoxifying actions.
However, in an uncontrolled state, free radicals destroy cellular membranes; enzymes and DNA. They accelerate aging and contribute to the development of many diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
Antioxidants to combat free radicals
Your body has a system of biochemical defenses to neutralize and control free radicals. Chemical antioxidants scavenge free radicals and stabilize the unstable free radicals by giving them the electron they need. The antioxidants are usually consumed or used up in this process.
The primary antioxidants are vitamins A, E, and C, beta carotene, glutathione, bioflavonoids, selenium, zinc, CoQ10, and various phyto-chemicals from herbs and foods. Green tea, for example, is rich in polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that help fight cancer.
In addition, biochemical antioxidants inhibit the formation of free radicals. These include lipoic acid, and repair enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase. Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, is also a potent antioxidant. Cholesterol is a major antioxidant that the body uses to repair damaged blood vessels.
Of all the antioxidants, glutathione may be the most important. Glutathione is made up of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid. It is part of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase and is the key liver antioxidant. People with AIDS, cancer, and Parkinson’s disease, for example, typically have very low glutathione levels.
Where do free radicals come from?
Diet can be a major source of free radical stressors with processed or highly heated oils being the main offenders. If you are still consuming processed foods containing refined vegetable oils, margarine, or shortening, you need to remove them from your diet. Replace these harmful fats with natural, cold-pressed oils such as olive oil, flax oil, or walnut oil. Food grade, unrefined coconut oil, and organic butter are also excellent choices, especially for cooking. Both of these naturally saturated fats are rich in certain fatty acids that help protect against bacteria, harmful yeasts, fungi, and tumor cells.
As a general rule, then, although the body does require a small amount of naturally occurring polyunsaturated oils in the diet each day. It’s easy to overdo it. So be careful. The best food sources for polyunsaturates are fish, flax oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, and dark green, leafy vegetables.
Excessive sugar intake can also contribute to free radical damage. White and brown sugars and sugar from natural sources, such as fruit and fruit juices, maple syrup, and honey, are converted into triglycerides by the liver and are subject to free radical damage. These damaged fats directly contribute to cardiovascular disease. Additionally, cancer and tumor cells feed off sugar. This is why excessive sugar intake correlates very strongly with heart disease, cancer and many other ailments.
Poor nutrition in general contributes to OS. When the body is fed poorly, it slowly starves and all of its systems suffer. Weak organ systems are prime targets for free radical attacks.
Free radicals are also released in the body from the detoxification of drugs, radiation, pesticides, chlorinated drinking water, cigarette smoke, alcohol, cleaning fluids, heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, and assorted chemicals such as solvent traces found in processed foods and aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and naphthalene.
Stress can contribute to OS. When the body is under stress, it produces certain hormones that generate free radicals. Moreover, the liver must eventually detoxify them and that process also generates free radicals. In addition, physical and emotional stress also prompt the release of endogenous cortisol, an adrenal hormone that reduces inflammation but also suppresses the immune system.
How do I know if I have OS?
When OS occurs, certain by-products are left behind that are excreted by the body, mostly in the urine. These by-products are oxidized DNA bases, lipid peroxides, and malondialdehyde from damaged lipids and proteins. The higher the levels of these various markers, the greater the chance there is of an OS-induced disease or the aggravation and acceleration of an existing one.
Even if you do not have access to formal testing, anyone can do the following simple test to see how much the body has been affected by free radicals: hold out your hand, palm down, in a relaxed position. Pinch the skin on the back of the hand, lift up the fold and then release it. If you have minimal free radical damage, the skin will snap back into place quickly. If the skin takes a few seconds to go back into place, this is not a good sign and action must be taken.
Solutions to OS
Obviously, the first step is to avoid as much as possible the various stressors listed earlier. The next step is to adjust your diet to include those foods and herbs rich in antioxidants. The last step is to consider supplementation. Supplementation is recommended if one lives in a polluted environment, is subject to extreme stress, smokes, or has a condition associated with OS. Food sources of antioxidants are best.
Supplements
Studies have shown that antioxidants work best in combination. Although there is value in supplementing with extra amounts of one or two antioxidants, better results are always obtained when a mix is used. is administered. Different antioxidants neutralize different free radicals. If you take a combination, then more free radicals will be neutralized. You can use the antioxidants for a particular ailment or organ if the nutrient has a particular affinity to them. For example, glutathione would be recommended for hepatitis, Parkinson’s, AIDS, and liver disease; vitamins E and C would be recommended for arteriosclerosis; CoQ10 would be recommended for heart disease, and alpha lipoic acid would be recommended for diabetes.
Taking a proactive approach to addressing oxidative stress is a necessity in our increasingly toxic world. Taking care to avoid those toxins as much as possible and enriching our diets with life-giving antioxidants is a wise step to take in your quest for wellness.