What Are Free Radicals?

No matter how healthy we are or what kind of environment we live in, our body is exposed daily to the cellular process called oxidation. The same oxygen we breathe to live also puts our cells at continual risk because of oxidation, the same process that causes iron to rust, fats to go rancid, and a piece of banana to turn brown. In the human body, oxidation causes damage of healthy human tissues on a cellular level. Over time, this damage results in what we generally call aging and can put our health at risk.

Free radicals are highly reactive, mainly oxygen molecules or atoms with at least one unpaired electron that can damage proteins, fats, and even DNA inside the trillions of cells within our bodies. Free radicals form naturally within our body as oxygen is utilized within the cell to create energy (called oxidation). Other causes of free radicals include ultraviolet light, or other forms of radiation. Toxic chemicals, especially synthetic compounds, can cause free radical damage. High fat diets, smoking, pollution, computer monitors, even the air we breathe contribute to the creation of free radicals.

Experts estimate that every cell experiences ten thousand free-radical attacks every hour of every day. Unless these scavengers are neutralized, they may succeed in stealing electrons from healthy human cells, leaving those cells damaged and unstable ? creating a chain reaction of dangerous cell mutations. Over time, these mutations cause aging and may lead to cancer and other forms of chronic disease. It has been estimated that more than two hundred diseases are associated with free-radical damage and oxidative stress.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are chemicals that fight oxidative damage resulting from free radicals. They add an electron to the unstable free radical molecules, thereby neutralizing them before they can damage a healthy cell. Antioxidants protect other chemicals of the body from free radicals and other reactive oxygen species in the body. Antioxidants work in four different ways: breaking chain reactions, reducing reactive oxygen species, scavenging and trapping free radicals, and chelating certain damaging metals.

Antioxidants can actually capture or neutralize free radicals. Because the body is attacked by many different types of free radicals, many types of antioxidants are needed. The three main types of antioxidants important in human metabolism are: antioxidant enzymes produced by the body, essential nutritional dietary compounds such as Vitamin C, and small plant-derived substances which intercept free radicals and prevent them from causing damage. These antioxidants work together to form a powerful system, supporting good antioxidant health.

Flavonoids are among the compounds that provide plants, vegetables, and fruits with their color ? with reds, purples, and blues being the most prevalent. In plants, flavonoids help provide protection from disease, ultraviolet rays and other predators. Substantial evidence exists suggesting that the darker the skin of a fruit, the more antioxidants it contains. There is abundant research demonstrating they possess anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, and antiviral properties, as well as the ability to act like hormones, protect and repair the liver, relax and dilate the blood vessels, modify blood platelet clotting, maintain mental function, lower the risk of certain forms of dementia, fight cancer, prevent tooth cavities and other forms of oral disease, and relieve allergy symptoms, among other benefits.

Anthocyanins are another group of flavonoids that provide powerful nutritional benefits. They act as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents, and possess hypoglycemic properties that help the body utilize sugars efficiently, thereby normalizing blood sugar levels. This translates into a lower risk of type-2 diabetes and possibly a reversal of a diabetic state. Because of their ability to lower sugar loads and fight free radicals, Anthocyanins can halt free-radical damage of the eyes and extremities, where diabetes tends to attack most. What?s unique about these compounds is that they not only prevent small blood vessel damage, but also repair damage once it has occurred.

Catechins and epicatechins are generating excitement because of their apparent ability to fight cancer. They do this in three ways. First, they can prevent the formation of carcinogens; second, they turn up the body?s natural detoxification defenses; and finally, they suppress cancer promotion. In animal studies, they have shown other promising qualities; acting as antibacterial and antiviral agents, regulating cholesterol and blood pressure, and reducing blood clotting tendencies that may cause heart attacks or strokes.

Chronic Disease and Free-Radical Damage

Most people recognize that cancer is one disease associated with abnormal cell duplication due to oxidative damage, but the effect of free radicals has been linked to more than sixty diseases, including cancer. The following are some of the primary conditions linked to free-radical damage:

?         Heart Disease

?         Diabetes

?         High Cholesterol

?         Cataracts

?         Arthritis

?         Cancer

?         Alzheimer?s/ Dementia

?         Multiple Sclerosis

?         Inflammatory bowel disease

?         Lung disease

?         Autoimmune dysfunction

?         Fibromyalgia

The research linking free radicals and disease is growing steadily. In fact, some experts estimate that more than 80 percent of debilitating disease is related to free radical activity in the body.