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Oxidation
The process of oxidation takes place in the body as part of the body’s energy-producing metabolism. It provides the vast amounts of energy required to keep us alive, and it continues as long as we live. It is a very precise, ordered process which calls for the presence of catalysts such as enzymes at various stages throughout, and it is designed to produce the maximum amount of energy for the cells without disturbing their balance and functions.
Free Radicals
The process can generate by-products, in the form of highly reactive and potentially destructive molecules which have been called free radicals. These molecules are dangerous because they are unstable. They carry a
small electrical charge, and have a single unpaired electron, which makes them
extremely volatile and liable to react with other atoms and molecules they contact. More
free radicals are rapidly generated from these chain reactions.
Free Radicals and Ageing
Biological systems are designed in such a way that free radicals are part of their normal functioning. The body copes with oxidative stress by using its own antioxidant mechanisms based on certain enzymes, proteins, vitamins and minerals. But if free radicals get out of hand, they can overtake this natural denfence system and bring about the degeneration of body cells, which ultimately leads
to ageing and degenerative disease.
Recent developments in the biochemical study of free radical action in the body has
provided a more unified understanding of degenerative processes. It is now possible
for researchers to make sense of the causation of a variety of pathological conditions,
including cancer, heart disease, atherosclerosis, arthritis, dementia, Alzheimer's and other diseases of old age, and to work towards counteracting and preventing these conditions.
Free radical damage is the causative factor in ageing. Free radicals operate by attacking
molecules of protein in the body and causing them to become cross-linked.
Cross-linkage degrades the molecules of cells and tissues so that they harden and lose
their elasticity. This happens both internally, resulting in hardening of the arteries and
the degeneration of brain tissue, and also externally, producing wrinkling and shrivelling
of the skin. Because proteins are the basic building matter of all the types of cells and
tissue in the body, this attack affects all protein functions, including cell building and
repair (the nucleic acids DNA and RNA which carry the genetic messages of the cells are
also affected), hormone and enzyme production, muscular and vascular tissue, and the
immune system.
Causes of Increased Free Radical Production
To an extent, free radicals are a natural result of body processes. Especially in today's world, however, the production of free radicals is likely to be accelerated by many outside influences such as :
Pollution
Pesticides
Radiation
Solvents
Air conditioners
Aerosol sprays, drycleaners
Car exhaust fumes
Physical stress or trauma
Emotional stress or trauma
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Cigarette smoke
Excessive alcohol intake
Illness and infection
Faulty protein digestion
Spoiled or tainted foods
Rancid and heated fats
Chemicals in food
Ozone
Ultra-violet rays
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Add to this the fact that humans eat fewer natural foods (especially
raw foods rich in the protective elements), while more and more foods are produced
by methods that deplete these protective elements, either in the growing or in the processing.
The Benefits of Antioxidant Elements
Under ideal conditions, the body should protect itself with the help of naturally occuring elements,
which it either derives from the diet, or produces using dietary sources. The first of these to be discovered are often called the First Generation Antioxidants:
Enzymes
Superoxide dismutase
Glutathione peroxidase
Catalase
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Vitamins
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
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Minerals
Zinc
Selenium
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Amino Acids
Arginine
Cysteine
Glutamine
Taurine
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The antioxidant enzymes are the first line of defence. But the body needs
adequate supplies of the required nutrients before enzymes can become
effective. Superoxide dismutase requires zinc, manganese
and copper, and glutathione peroxidase requires selenium
and vitamin E - which, as we know, operate synergistically. If these nutrients
are not available in sufficient quantity, the scavenging activity
of the enzymes is reduced.
The Second Generation Antioxidants
As research into antioxidants developed, a "second generation" of more powerful free radical fighters was found: the Carotenoids (associated with Vitamin A) and the Bioflavonoids (which enhance the action of Vitamin C). These were far more powerful in their action than the Vitamins, and they remained longer in the body, thus increasing their effectiveness even further.
Carotenoids
(over 600)
Astaxanthin
Lycopene
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Bioflavonoids
(over 800)
Rutin
Hesperidin
Quercetin
Anthocynosides
Catechins
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Bioflavonoids are also important for the absorption of iron. If a diet contains enough fruit and vegetables, bioflavonoids should not be deficient, but present-day dietary habits and cultivation methods make for deficiency.
Some Notes About Antioxidant Herbs and Health Foods
Herbs
Bilberry
Echinacea
Evening Primrose
Garlic
Ginger
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Herbs
Ginkgo Biloba
Hawthornberry
Milk Thistle
Rosemary
Wild Cabbage
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Healthfoods
Grape Seed Ext
Green Tea
Pollen
Propolis
Pine Bark Ext
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Tomatoes are the best source of the carotenoid Lycopene - the pigment that gives tomatoes and pink fruits their red colour. Studies have proved that lycopene is far better absorbed from cooked tomato products than from raw tomatoes. Lycopene has been shown to have beneficial effects on prostate cancer.
Bilberry. As well as containing vitamins A and C, Bilberry has high levels of anthocynosides, bioflavonoids that fortify blood vessel walls, improving blood flow to the tiny blood vessels that keep eyes healthy, as well as to larger blood vessels that help maintain good circulation throughout the body. Bilberry has a reputation for improving night vision and preventing and treating macular degeneration and cataracts.
Green Tea contains bioflavonoids called catechins: These antioxidants may selectively inhibit the growth of cancer. Positive results have been obtained from studies of green tea, although it appears black tea cannot be shown to have the same effects.
Fresh Berry Fruits contain bioflavonoids, especially many of the dark berries such as pomegranate, noni, goji berries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Grape Seed and Pine Bark Extracts both contain proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids. The pycnogenol and catechins present in pine bark extract are said to be an extremely effective antioxidant, exerting a stabilising effect on collagen and cellular membranes of all kinds. Grape seed extract contains a very high level of proanthocyanidins.
Patricia Howitt
Webmistress, Web and Graphic Design, Author
Patricia's career was as a government lawyer working on the medico-legal field. She now indulges her passions for art and writing as a graphics and web designer.
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