by Gary Mary
Certain chemicals or molecules are produced in our body on a daily basis due to activities of breathing, our body metabolism, the body's interaction with the environment-toxins, pollution, chemicals, radiations and sunlight. All these create harmful molecules which can eventually lead to
chains of diseases in our body. These harmful molecules are known as free radicals.
What are free radicals?
They are atoms or molecules with unpaired electrons. These molecules are considered oxidized. They are very reactive and unstable with unpaired electrons. Due to their unstable nature, they grab free electrons from a nearby molecule to become stable causing that molecule to rather become unstable and hence become a free radical. This newly created radical needs to find a free electron to be become stable and the cycle continues.
Damages caused by free radicals:
Even though they are vital for many normal processes in our body (I.e metabolism, cellular signaling and immunity), they can cause problems. Their activities have many implications in our body due to their highly reactive nature and they are difficult to control. Free radicals cause the following damages to our body;
1. They cause damages in our DNA. If these damages are not repaired, they result in accumulated changes in our body overtime. Such changes are;
a. Skin getting wrinkles
b. Sun spots
c. Memory loses its sharpness
d. Eyesight diminishes
e. Organs do not function properly
f. Energy decreases
g. DNA damage also lead to cancer
h. In effect, your body ages quickly.
How to stop free radicals damage- Antioxidants:
How can you stop free radical damage? Our body has inborn systems that normally help neutralize these harmful free radicals. Much of this maintenance is done by enzymes which are able to minimize their damage. Also, some antioxidants like vitamins from the food we eat are able to neutralize and minimize free radical damage. It is therefore important to eat healthy diets full of nutritious foods with lots of vitamins and antioxidants in order to keep your body healthy always.
Antioxidants are molecules which help control free radical damage in our body. Scientific research has shown that antioxidants can play a protective role in a number of diseases such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases which are caused by these chemicals. The various types of antioxidants are vitamins (Vitamins A, C and E), enzymes (glutathione, superoxide dismutase), and others such as carotenes and polyphenols.
Sources of antioxidants:
Well known sources of antioxidants are vitamins such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and tocopherol (vitamin E). Antioxidants are also found in plant constituents such as anthocynins (plant pigments), carotenoids and polyphenols (especially flavonoids) from vegetables. Fruits and fat-soluble antioxidants from vegetable oils. Some other antioxidants we ingest in foods comes from different sources such as;
Vitamin A
Liver, sweet potatoes, butter, cheese, carrots, broccoli and spinach.
Vitamin C
Red peppers, guavas, broccoli, oranges, lemons, pineapples, cauliflower, kale and cantaloupe.
Vitamin E
Nuts, oils from nuts, olive oil, avocados, wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds and some green leafy vegetables.
Carotenes
Sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, kale, beets and many other colorful fruits and vegetables.
Polyphenols
Tea, fruits and vegetables, chocolate, olives, grapes, olive oil, wine, nuts, herbs and spices.
Lycopene
Tomatoes, watermelon and carrots
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