The Problem with Free Radicals

Although our bodies are quite capable of handling some amount of free radicals they need a whole lot more antioxidants to cope with the continuous bombardment that our 21st Century lifestyle throws at them.

The best sources of antioxidants are fruit and vegetables.

Not a disgruntled and very aged freedom chanting hippie from Woodstock, but the one, you may recall from a past science lesson. Atoms consist of a nucleus, protons, neutrons, and electrons. Looking at free radicals and antioxidants, it is the electrons that concern us most. 

When atoms have sufficient electrons, they are considered to be chemically stable, regardless of how they are arranged, one thing is vital – electrons need to be in pairs. Sometimes, however, atoms split in a way that results in an unpaired electron, when this happens, it’s not good. When an atom has an unpaired electron it is regarded as chemically unstable and is called a free radical.

Free radicals then embark on a desperate quest to seize an electron from another atom – usually a neighboring “free radical”. Unfortunately, this creates what is called, a domino effect. The atom that has been robbed of an electron, becomes a free radical itself and immediately starts attacking its neighboring atom, and that’s the problem with free radicals. It’s not that they damage one cell, but that they set up a whole disastrous chain reaction.

Scientists believe, that this chain reaction, is one of the main reasons why we age and develop various other degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular damage, cancer, diabetes, and various cerebrovascular diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Bad News

Science can’t stop free radicals from forming, even if we were living in an airtight bubble, and manage to eliminate air pollution including smoking- (both passive and active) and exhaust fumes, and we avoid exposure to the UV radiation from the sun and even if we remove all preservatives from our food – all of which are cause free radicals to form. We would still have a problem. The countless free radicals produced by our bodies every day through breathing and digestion would not be eliminated.

Good News

Fortunately, our bodies have a defense system against these rogue compounds: antioxidants (free radical scavengers).

These scavengers seek out free radicals and lend them an electron that stabilizes the molecule and prevents further cell damage.

Antioxidants are the “soldiers” of the cells and can safely interact with free radicals, (the enemy) by terminating the chain reaction or domino effect.

The best sources of antioxidants are fruit and vegetables.

These include: Vitamin E (15mg RDA), Vitamin C (75mg. RDA for women and 90mg. RDA for men), Beta-carotene (No RDA), Selenium (55mg. RDA)

So what is enough fruit and vegetables?

Try to include at least two fruit servings (300g) and about two to three cups of vegetables a day (400g)

By the way, the leaves of the antioxidant-rich plant Camellia Sinesis, “Tea”, green or black, is an excellent way to boost your antioxidant quota.