Free Radicals And Antioxidants In The Human Body - Action And Protection Against Them

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Free radicals and antioxidants

Free radicals are active molecules that have the ability to attach another electron. The molecule has one unpaired electron, and easily enters into chemical reactions that ensure it fills this void. By providing this connection, it becomes harmless. However, the chemical reactions caused by free radicals do not leave their mark on the body.

Content:

• Free radicals
• Free radical formation
• Aging of the body and free radicals
• Protecting the body from free radicals

Free radicals

Normally, a small amount of free radicals are present in the human body. A healthy immune system perfectly controls their activity and itself contributes to their appearance.

Functions of Controlled Free Radicals:

• Destruction of viruses and bacteria;
• Activation of essential enzymes;
• Production of essential hormones;
• Production of energy and substances necessary for a person.

An example of controlled free radicals is colloidal silver

If the amount of free radicals increases, they stimulate even more production of these molecules. The damage to the body increases, as the structure of proteins changes, the way of encoding genetic information and transferring it from cell to cell. Pathologically altered proteins are recognized by the human immune system as foreign material, it tries to destroy them. Such a load is sometimes beyond her power - the immunity falls, and the most severe pathologies develop: cancer, leukemia, heart, renal and liver failure.

The cells are deprived of their protection, as free radicals destroy the integrity of the cell membrane. Excess fluid accumulates in the body, and calcium levels rise. These changes lead to the appearance of diseases, infertility, disruption of biochemical reactions in the thickness of the skin and premature aging.

Free radical formation

The reasons for the appearance of free radicals:

• Ultraviolet radiation - UV rays deprive molecules of electrons, destroy cell membranes and their components.
• Side effects, drug overdose - the molecules of chemical compounds of drugs enter into reactions and enzymatic transformations, turn into free radicals.
• Smoking - nicotine and the resulting tar start oxidation reactions.
• Violated ecological balance - chemical compounds from products, exhaust gases, household chemicals enter the human body and trigger oxidation reactions.
• The negative effect of stress - stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol) disrupt the respiration and nutrition of the cell, making it a target for free radicals.

The most tangible consequences of oxidative reactions triggered by free radicals are physiological destruction of tissues and organs, and early aging.

In 15 minutes, while we fill the car with fuel, from gasoline fumes in our body there are so many free radicals that our grandparents did not receive in their entire life.

Aging of the body and free radicals

Unstable molecules that lack one or even several electrons sooner or later take it away from full-fledged cells. A radical attack triggers an oxidation reaction where ordinary molecules donate an electron to unstable molecules. Since all organs and tissues of the human body consist of ordinary molecules, after oxidative reactions they can no longer remain the same and begin to deteriorate.

After taking an electron, the free radical becomes a stable compound. At this very time, the molecule attacked by him becomes a free radical itself. Oxidative reactions are renewed with renewed vigor already with other participants. The number of affected cells grows, even inert molecules enter into chemical reactions.

For example, it is worth paying attention to collagen molecules. Inert in a normal situation, after oxidation, their activity increases, they bind to each other. The result of this process is loss of skin elasticity, the formation of wrinkles, aging of the dermis. A similar process occurs in all tissues of the human body. This process is comparable to metal corrosion. Free radicals cause the body to "rust".

The chain mechanism of aging is triggered when the mitochondria of the cell (cell organelle) are damaged by radicals. The role of these defective molecules in the aging process has become clear after numerous studies in recent decades.

Possible effects of free radicals:

• Alzheimer's disease;
• The appearance of wrinkles and age spots;
• Inflammatory changes in the joints;
• Diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
• Weakening of the muscles that support the skeleton;
• Loss of skin elasticity;
• Decreased vision and hearing;
• Age-related mental processes;
• Crayfish.

The more successfully a person fights free radicals, the later the age of onset of age-related changes begins. Aging at the molecular level leads to changes in the body's metabolism. After damage to cells by free radicals, DNA damage and mutations accumulate in them. The modified proteins lead to sticking of molecules to each other, and cannot fully fulfill their functions. With age, the number of cross-links increases.

The destruction of the structure of cells, the destruction of their membranes leads to the fact that all processes in them slow down or go wrong. Metabolic products are not removed from the cell, and it becomes clogged. The damaging effects due to free radicals increase, the body cannot resist aging.

Protecting the body from free radicals

There is a reliable way to counteract free radicals - this is the intake of antioxidants into the body. These compounds donate their electrons to defective molecules without losing their stability and activity. The negative process of destruction of molecules ceases, cell destruction does not occur, and oxidation reactions do not occur. Antioxidants also become free radicals, but they have almost no effect and do not destroy cells.

Antioxidants enter the human body with plant foods, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements. Some of the antioxidants are formed in the human body (enzymes, the hormone melatonin).

Most readily available antioxidants:

• alpha lipoic acid,
• Vitamin A, E, C and beta-carotene (any vegetables and fruits)
• Cysteine
• Zinc (pumpkin seeds hold the record for zinc content)
• Flavonoids (berries, especially those of a dark color, hold the record for flavonoid content)
• Glutathione (this antioxidant is produced by the body itself)
• Ginkgo biloba

To resist free radicals, you need to take simple measures: include in your diet a large amount of vegetables and fruits, quit smoking, avoid ultraviolet radiation, take vitamin and mineral complexes.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from free radicals is to drink fresh vegetable juices daily.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.