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- Our body naturally produces free radicals during metabolic processes.
- Free radical – atoms with an unpaired electron. They are highly reactive and can damage our cells.
- Oxidative stress – a condition that occurs when there is an imbalance between the amount of free radicals and antioxidants in our body.
- Free radical attacks can occur in so many molecules such as in lipids, proteins, DNA, and carbs.
- Factors like smoking, extreme exercises, mental & physical stress, poor diet, and unprotected sun exposure increases free radical production in our body.
- Antioxidants are the natural savior that can fight free radicals.
- Different food sources have different types of antioxidants. Eating a diverse diet can help us to obtain a variety of antioxidants.
- Taking antioxidants supplements can be helpful to those not eating enough fruits & vegetables daily.
1. Introduction
Everyday, our body cells work hard from the inside to ensure our survival and well-being. Some of them are fighting bacterial infections, some are repairing damages, and some are processing metabolites. While carrying out these metabolic processes, the cells can’t avoid generating byproducts such as free radicals, and as we might have known, free radicals are harmful to our health.
2. What are free radicals?
Free radicals are atoms that have an unpaired electron, making it unstable & highly reactive. They are also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidants, and superoxide. Under optimal conditions, a low amount of free radicals can become beneficial for us. They play a vital role in several signaling pathways & in fighting pathogen infections.
However, because free radicals are unstable, they are naturally desperate to be paired with another electron to become stable. They will do whatever they can, even if it means stealing from another molecule. When there are too many of them appearing at a time, our defense system may be overwhelmed & may not be able to fight against them, causing a condition called oxidative stress. This kind of behavior makes free radicals harmful to our body and has been said to be the main culprit to various health complications.
3. How do they affect our body?
Free radicals attacks are mainly done on cellular components such as carbs, proteins, DNA, and lipids.
When free radical attacks the cells, toxic byproducts are produced and released into our system. These attacks also often generate more free radicals, making the damages occur even faster. In proteins, such damage may lead to a condition related to ageing including Alzheimer’s disease. Whereas in carbs, joint issues such as rheumatoid arthritis may develop.
A more recent review suggested that free radical attacks are especially damaging to the mitochondria of a cell. Mitochondria is known as the powerhouse of cells. When damaged, the cell may lose its ability to function properly or altogether, causing issues such as autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, and DNA alteration.
Other conditions that are highly linked to the effects of free radicals & oxidative stress are:
- Cancers
- Impaired immune system
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Kidney diseases
- Autoimmune conditions
- Diabetes
- Internal & external ageing (wrinkles, brain function deterioration, hair loss, vision loss, etc.)
- Degenerative & neurodegenerative diseases
- Inflammatory diseases
- Various chronic diseases
4. Factors increasing free radicals in our body
Notice that most of the said health issues are common with ageing. While growing older could be one of the factors, there are also other contributing aspects that play a significant role in allowing oxidative stress to happen. Some of the common ones are:
- Psychological stress
- Physiological stress (extreme exercising, extreme physical stress)
- Injuries or other traumas
- Smoking
- Alcohol consumption
- Exposure to pollutants & UV ray (sunlight)
- Diet low in plant-based food
- Poor diet – low in variety and quality
Avoiding any of these factors may be the best action to take. However, some of these aspects are inevitable and sometimes hard to manage. Thankfully, our body is geared with a pool of antioxidants that can help to fight those free radicals.
5. What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are molecules that fight against free radicals and oxidative stress. They naturally exist in our body and can also be obtained from the food we eat. Antioxidants are actually not a fixed group of nutrients or molecules but rather a type of function that molecules can exhibit.
Some of the most common antioxidants are:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin A
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Manganese
- Flavonoids
These beneficial nutrients can be obtained from a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Each antioxidant carries a different function and they cannot be substituted with another. Which is why it is critical to eat a diverse diet to ensure a varied pool of antioxidants is supplied to our body everyday.
For some, eating a whole lot of vegetables & fruits everyday can be quite challenging. Leading a busy lifestyle & having little to no time to cook could be the main obstacle. Therefore, taking supplemental products that contain antioxidants can be really helpful in such cases. Make sure to check if the supplement contains an appropriate amount of antioxidants, otherwise the overly excessive nutrients will only be excreted out instead of fully absorbed by your body.
References:
- Hinder, R. A. (1991). Oxygen-Derived Free Radicals. Archives of Surgery, 126(1), 104. doi:10.1001/archsurg.1991.0141025
- Sharma, N. (2014). Free Radicals, Antioxidants and Disease. Biology and Medicine, 06(03). doi:10.4172/0974-8369.1000214
- Jang, Y. C., & Remmen, H. V. (2009). The mitochondrial theory of aging: Insight from transgenic and knockout mouse models. Experimental Gerontology, 44(4), 256–260. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2008.12.006
- Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010). Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 4(8), 118. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.70902
2 thoughts on “Introduction to free radicals & antioxidants”
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Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be interesting to read articles from other authors and use a little something from their sites.