Free Radicals

We are not talking about aging Black Panthers; we are talking about tiny atoms that wreck havoc inside our bodies. For those of us who were educated in biology prior to ‘free radical’ thinking, you may well be asking what they are, where do they come from and how can you make them go away.

Free radicals are simply atoms that are missing an electron. These atoms naturally seek to be properly balanced and they achieve balance by stealing electrons from our healthy cells. The result is cell damage or cell death. This produces sickness, aging and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and many others.

We shouldn’t underestimate the threat free radicals pose to our health. They are associated with, or causal factors in nearly every known disease. The bottom line is we have to deal with the free radicals if we want to remain healthy because we simply can’t avoid them.

There are many sources of free radicals: smoking, stress, sunlight, pesticides, pollution, medications, foods and food additives, X-rays, exercise, chlorine in water, mercury in seafood and just living your life. So if we can’t avoid them, how do we neutralize or eliminate them?

Since free radicals are seeking to steal electrons, you neutralize their impact by providing antioxidants that have atoms with an extra electron that they give up to free radicals. Antioxidants protect your cells and DNA from damage, and in some cases they can actually repair damaged DNA before it replicates. In non-medical terms, to avoid free radical damage, you must simply supply enough antioxidants in our diet to counterbalance the free radicals that are in your body. Thus, antioxidants are your defense against aging, sickness and disease. Maintaining proper antioxidant levels is vital to your health.

Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables, nuts, oils, beans, and other foods. They are also found in high quality vitamin supplements (A, C, E, Beta-carotene, Lutein and Lycopene). Given that most adults do not eat the right foods to provide antioxidant protection, the American Medical Association recommends supplements. The supplements should include many types of antioxidants and be natural for maximal absorption by the body.

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If you want to be healthy, think ‘radicals’ and take antioxidants