Anti-oxidants

What is Oxidation?

Oxidation is a chemical reaction whereby one atom or molecule (usually oxygen and thus the name oxidation) robs a particle (an electron) of another atom or molecule.  Fire is the most notable example of this and demonstrates how reactive and self-perpetuating this process is, but leave a newspaper exposed to the air for 30 years and much the same results occur.  Our bodies burn or “oxidize” food with oxygen the exact same way in our cells, but we control the burn to release much less of the energy as heat and use it to run our biological machinery.  Oxidation, however, happens randomly throughout the body whether we use it or not.

So, where’s the problem?

The problem is with the molecule that has had its electron stolen.  It was happily doing its job as part of a muscle, nerve, blood vessel or whatever, but now will abandon its job and do anything to get its electron back.  We call this molecule a “free radical”.  It will leave “home” and attack any one of its neighbors stealing one of their electrons.  Only then can it relax, but it is useless to us as it is not at home performing its duties any more, plus it has created another free radical to repeat the process over and over again.

Is oxygen the only cause?

Generally, yes.  But our primary concern is what turns oxygen into a free radical in the first place.  Our environment is a dangerous place when it comes to free radical producers.  Radiation, air pollution, pesticides, anesthetics, gasoline vapors, fried foods, drugs, solvents, alcohol, lead and mercury are just some of the offenders we deal with.  The damage of sunburn is caused by the free radials formed by the UV light.  One of the worst offenders is primary and second hand cigarette smoke.

So are we safe if we avoid all these things?

I’m afraid not.  Just day-to-day living is a source of free radicals.  Normal chemical reactions of the body are constantly creating them.  They are byproducts of the regular construction of body tissues, detoxification of drugs and wastes in the liver, and even heavy exercise causes a flood of free radicals.  An excellent example of this, which demonstrates not only the power of free radicals, but also the intelligence of the body to make use of the laws of nature, is found in the immune system.  The immune cells that patrol our blood and tissues for bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and other invaders make and use free radicals as their main ammunition to kill these intruders.

All right, they’re everywhere, so are we doomed?

In a sense, yes.  Many doctors and scientists believe in the theory that free radical damage is behind the basic process of aging.  Accumulated damage over a lifetime leads to an eventual breakdown of the glues that hold us together.  Free radicals are also implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases including cancer, asthma, athlerosclerosis, arthritis, bursitis, lupus, other auto immune diseases, any inflammation and swelling, and a lot more.  The body, however, is not defenseless.  This is where antioxidants come in.  These substances carry an extra electron with them and search the body for free radicals to give it to, thereby quenching these hazardous devils.  They are then reusable, picking up another electron from a safe source without generating new free radicals and continue to sweep the body for more.

Where do they come from?

Some antioxidants are proteins made by the body, and many are delivered to us in the food we eat.  The most important of these are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, zinc, and some amino acids.

Is that enough?

While they are readily available from our foods, our antioxidant defense systems are vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies.  The increased load of toxins that today’s environment dumps on us, and the borderline diets we eat, leads many health practitioners to believe the oxidant/antioxidant balance may be tipped against us and that supplements are needed to compensated and even can slow the aging process.