What are free oxygen radicals and antioxidants?
“By intervening in the underlying ageing process, we may be able to produce very significant increases in healthy lifespan”
Dr. Peter Rabinovich, professor of pathology at the University of Washington, on a study that further strengthens the evidence that free radicals have an impact on our ageing.
What does “free oxygen radical” mean?
Back in 1956, the American physician Denham Harman described the theory of so-called free oxygen radicals. Oxygen is vital for us and for our cells. If we don’t have access to it, our cells die. The oxygen we breathe through our lungs is transported with the help of haemoglobin to the various organs in our body. Here the cells process the oxygen and use it to create energy. In connection with this process a by-product is formed called a free oxygen radical. This is an oxygen molecule that lacks an electron. These oxygen molecules become aggressive and want to find an electron elsewhere, so they attack other substances around them in order to steal an electron. In connection with these “attacks”, the substance that is attacked is damaged, which can cause cell and tissue damage. If our DNA is attacked, the risk of cancer can increase. If our vascular system is attacked, the risk of vascular disease can increase. If our brain cells are attacked, the risk of things like dementia can increase. And if our skin cells are attacked, this can contribute to wrinkling and increase the risk of skin cancer. These sorts of attacks on our cells are collectively known as oxidative stress. The more we expose ourselves to oxidative stress, the more quickly our individual cells are put at risk of damage and the ageing process can be accelerated. However, not all of these free oxygen radicals are dangerous. Some of them form part of the body’s immune system, protecting us from infections, bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
What is an antioxidant?
Put simply, oxidative stress is like rusting. Just like when cars rust, one problem after another will gradually arise. The ingenious thing is that the body can protect itself from some of these free oxygen radicals and neutralise them. Antioxidants are many different types of molecules that can give up an electron without becoming harmful themselves. Put simply, they can protect against rusting. Antioxidants can counteract and prevent free oxygen radicals from damaging our cells. In order to achieve optimal health, a balance between free oxygen radicals and antioxidants needs to be struck. The younger we are, the better our body is protected against free oxygen radicals. The older we get, the more we can be damaged by them. Animal studies have shown that having good protection from antioxidants can not only extend the life of the animals but also reduce their risk of disease.
What can I do?
You can increase your protection against free oxygen radicals in two ways:
Reduce the amount your cells produce
Avoid active and passive smoking.
Protect yourself from UV light. Free radicals contribute to wrinkled skin and increase the risk of skin cancer.
Keep your weight in check. Obesity contributes to the formation of more free oxygen radicals.
Avoid excessive air pollution.
Exercise contributes to the formation of free oxygen radicals, so don’t overdo it when it comes to exercise.
Keep your cool! Stress contributes to the formation of free radicals.
Protect yourself with antioxidants:
Antioxidants can be formed by the body itself, such as glutathione in the liver or melatonin in the pineal gland in the brain, or can come from our diet. You can optimise your intake of antioxidants with:
Good sleep. Plenty of melatonin is produced when we sleep, which contributes to a good night’s rest and is one of the body’s most important antioxidants with a very strong ability to protect our cells from damage.
Make sure you get plenty of natural antioxidants. Ensure you have a rainbow diet, with bright-coloured food! Remember that all the colours of our food need to work together to have the best effect. Natural antioxidants that we get from our food aren’t harmful at all.
My advice:
Try to eat vegetables, fruit, and berries in many different colours every day in order to get as many different types of antioxidants as possible. Try to eat from every colour of the rainbow! You can never get too many antioxidants from your food, so eat a varied diet. The same can’t be said of the antioxidants you get from dietary supplements, so be careful with these.
