Battle of the Free Radicals: Why Antioxidants Are Your Best Allies
In the health and wellness realm, there's a lot of hype around antioxidants lately, so much that it's become a buzzword. But do people really know what antioxidants are?
We know that antioxidants are in a lot of different foods and that they are good for us, but it seems like that’s about it. Let's delve deeper into what they are and how they impact our bodies.
What are Antioxidants?
Another buzzword, “free radicals”, is a fun term referring to the unstable substances created by our own cells doing normal, everyday activities. The overproduction of said substances results in yet another buzzword, “oxidative stress.”
The thing about oxidative stress is that it can damage our cells and lead to chronic illness, such as cancer and inflammation. Research has determined that antioxidants are really helpful to our bodies' preventative and repair mechanisms which regulate oxidative stress pathways. The Robin to our Batman, if you will.
Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals before they can cause damage to your body. BUT, when an antioxidant neutralizes a free radical, it becomes oxidized itself and loses its effectiveness. Basically, each antioxidant is a little soldier your body’s sacrificing to protect you. Cute.
This means that your body must constantly replenish its antioxidant supply to work effectively. While your body creates some antioxidants, it’s reliant on your diet to get the rest that it needs.
Antioxidants come in synthetic and natural form. Natural antioxidants occur naturally in food — they are found in some animal tissues and nearly all plants. Some delicious foods particularly high in antioxidants include:
Oranges
Lemons
Blueberries
Strawberries
Plums
Other sources include:
Beta-carotene
Vitamins A, C, and E
Selenium-containing proteins
Oxidative stress is caused by a lot of things, including smoking, obesity, poor diet, alcohol, radiation, pesticides, and pollution.
The Role of Antioxidants in Health
As you now know, oxidative stress wreaks havoc on your body by causing damage to your cells. The cool thing about antioxidants is that they neutralize free radicals before they can cause this oxidative stress.
Research has found that oxidative stress plays a role in these diseases:
Asthma
Chronic bronchitis
Arthritis
Depression
Stroke
Alzheimer’s
Inflammation
Cancer
Aging
Diabetes
Preeclampsia
Hypertension
And many more!
Oxidative Stress and Cancer
While cancer development in humans is complicated, the process involves changes made at the cellular and molecular level which can be triggered by internal and external factors. One major cause of cancer is oxidative stress (the thing caused by free radicals).
Oxidative stress causes damage to our DNA, leading to changes in our genes and chromosomes, which can potentially cause cancer. It can cause changes to our DNA, breaks in DNA strands, and loss of DNA bases.
Oxidative Stress and Neurological Disorders
Oxidative stress plays a major role in the loss of neurons and the production of ß-amyloid (a harmful substance contributes to brain cell loss). It’s linked to various brain conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Parkinson’s because it damages brain cells.
Bottom Line
Oxidative stress (jeez, it feels like I’ve said this word a million times by now) contributes to many diseases, and a lot of the time, we can’t help but expose ourselves to things that cause it, like pollution. But we can control our eating habits, smoking, and working out.
Antioxidants won’t magically solve all our problems. It’s our responsibility to limit our unhealthy habits as much as possible (I know, we all have our vices). They also work best in addition to other naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.
So remember, have a well-balanced diet of whole foods, exercise, only smoke and drink sometimes, and plug your nose every time you’re outside (kidding about the last one).
