Antioxidants for Natural Cellular Protection
Researched and written by Brenda Templin

In this report, we discuss how our bodies are constantly exposed to free radicals and how they interact with other molecules within the cell to cause oxidative stress which has been implicated in the cause of certain diseases and has an impact on the aging process.

Accumulation of Free Radicals Causes Oxidative Stress

Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that are constantly produced as the body reacts with oxygen to create energy. When a free radical is produced, it then attacks the nearest stable molecule, causing it to become a free radical as well. This rapid chain reaction of free radicals causes disruption to the living cell, the cell wall, fats and proteins, and even the DNA nucleus of our cells. The free radical, in effect, steals nutrients from healthy cells, starving them to death. This is what makes free radicals so harmful. They actually attach themselves to other cells and cause damage, so we can't let them build up and later expect to consume antioxidants to neutralize them.(1)

The difference between an antioxidant and other molecules is that the antioxidant can neutralize free radicals, yet remain stable itself. We need an available supply of antioxidants in our bodies at all times, ready to neutralize the free radicals we are constantly exposed to. It is estimated that DNA receives about 10,000 hits per cell from free radicals per day.(2) By curbing the activity of free radicals with antioxidants, we can slow down the processes that cause disease and aging, and live a longer, healthier life.

The formation of some free radicals is a normal process in the body. For example, the body's immune system creates them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. For past generations, the body's own defense system of producing antioxidants was sufficient, but is not enough to fight the many free radicals we are exposed to in today's world. Environmental factors such as pollutants in the air we breathe, and in our food and water, dramatically increase the number of free radicals produced in our bodies. Stressful lifestyles, excessive exercise, radiation, cigarette smoke, pesticides, sunlight, poor nutrition and medications also greatly increase the number of free radicals multiplying in our bodies. When plenty of antioxidants are available to neutralize free radicals, the body can handle them, but when the production of free radicals becomes excessive, cells become damaged.

It is important to note that free radical damage begins at birth and accumulates with age, accelerating the aging process. Oxidative stress occurs when the body's supply of antioxidants is not sufficient to neutralize the adverse chemical reactions of free radicals. Hundreds of studies show that oxidative stress is the root cause of as many as sixty chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, strokes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, macular degeneration, lupus, MS, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue.

Solutions: eat foods high in antioxidants

Take supplements which combine the power of mixed carotenoids and mixed tocopherals from whole foods. The formula also includes a proprietary blend of alpha lipoic acid, L-glutamine, green tea extract, cocoa extract, clove extract, blueberry powder, grape skin extract, rosemary power, and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe). These ingredients combine to provide a safe healthy dose of broad-spectrum antioxidants for protection at the cellular level.

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Next time: How antioxidants work.

Amie Howard

http://amie.healthyhometour.com

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