Science Based Wellness

The Problem of Free Radicals

In simple terms free radicals are molecules, ions or even some individual atoms that are hungry for electrons. They steal electrons from wherever they can find them. Free radicals are bad news because they can steal electrons from the vital molecules inside your cell thus disrupting the functioning of those cells. Free radicals have been shown to be involved in a variety of serious afflictions from cancer to premature aging. Free radicals are also involved in heart disease. They react with LDL particles stuck in the arterial wall causing inflammation and the immune response that leads to the formation of atheromous plaque.

The process of stealing electrons is called oxidation. Too much oxidation causes oxidative stress.

Your body produces free radicals in the normal course of metabolism. When you exercise hard your metabolism speeds up and you produce free radicals in greater abundance. The harder you exercise the more free radicals your body produces.

Antioxidants to the rescue

Do not conclude from this that you should throw away those running shoes and lead a life of indolence. What you need is a regular supply of antioxidants. Antioxidants react with free radicals and make them safe.

The best known antioxidants are vitamins C and E. Many people take these in the form of supplements. Don’t! I shall explain why you should avoid vitamin pills in a subsequent post.

You need a Cocktail of Antioxidants

There is no “magic bullet” antioxidant that will protect you from free radicals anywhere and everywhere. Our bodies seem to need a cocktail of antioxidants to provide in-depth defence of every part of the cell against the depredations of free radicals. Cocktails of antioxidants are freely and cheaply available in fruit, vegetables, green tea, coffee and red wine.

Here is a list of some of the better known antioxidants and where you can get them.

Antioxidant		Source and Comments
Vitamin A		Your body makes vitamin A from beta carotene. You can get beta carotene from yellow vegetables such as carrots or deep green vegetables such as spinach.
Vitamin C		Citrus fruits - oranges, grapefruit and lemons
Vitamin E		Nuts, seeds including sunflower seed oil
Lycopene		Found in tomato skins. This one is a little controversial. Lycopene consumption has been linked to reduced levels of heart disease and some types of cancer. It is not clear whether it is the lycopene or other constituents of the tomato that are providing the benefit. It may be the whole cocktail of antioxidants present in tomatoes that collectively provide a degree of protection against hear disease and some types of cancer.
Resveratrol		Found in red wine. Also controversial. While a little red wine may do you good it is not clear that reseveratrol alone will offer the same benefit. Perhaps it is again the cocktail of chemicals in red wine that provide the benefit.
Catechins		Very powerful antioxidant found in green tea. May also help with weight loss

Overall pomegranates may deliver the most powerful cocktail of antioxidants. makes a delicious and refreshing drink.

Conclusion

You need a cocktail of antioxidants to control the free radicals that are a by product of normal metabolism. We do not yet know all the ingredients of the cocktail but we know where to get it. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and you’ll get all the antioxidants you need.

Rely on vitamin pills and supplements instead of fruits and vegetables and you may be missing out on some vital ingredients in the cocktail.

Tags: Antioxidants, cocktail, Free Radicals, oxidation, oxidative stress, Vitamins

This entry was posted on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 12:58 pm and is filed under Antioxidants, Free Radicals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.