Antioxidant
Ever wondered how you get all those wrinkles? Those annoying
crow’s feet at the corners of your eyes? Or those laugh
lines around your mouth? Sure, these things are but part of
the normal aging process. But what causes aging anyway? And
is there anyway to retard it?
In biological systems, the normal processes of oxidation are
what lead to aging. Oxidation causes the production of
substances called free
radicals which are highly reactive. These free radicals
can readily react with and damage other molecules. Note that
it says “molecules” so that means free radicals don’t
make the distinction between foreign bodies and healthy
cells. And when free radicals start attacking the body’s
own cells, you can guess what the results are – Aging.
If only there was a way to get rid of those harmful free
radicals…
Well, have we got good news for you? Free radicals are
natural enemies of antioxidants. The function of
antioxidants is to destroy harmful free radicals,
counteracting the damaging of tissues and in effect,
treating aging or causing its retardation.
Antioxidants are commonplace in nature. In fact,
antioxidants are abundant in more common vitamins such as
retinol or Vitamin A, ascorbic acid or Vitamin C, tocopherol
or Vitamin E, and selenium. They can be nutrients (vitamins
and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that
assist in chemical reactions). Antioxidants are believed to
play an important role in preventing the development of such
chronic
illnesses as heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s
disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and cataracts.
Although antioxidants cannot completely rid our bodies of
free radicals, they can however work to retard or minimize
the damage caused. Antioxidants block the process of
oxidation by neutralizing free radicals. By neutralizing,
they themselves become oxidized. For this reason, our bodies
are always in need of a constant source of antioxidants.
How antioxidants work is a two-way process. First is the
chain-breaking. This is where the antioxidant comes in to
break the chain reaction of free radicals turning other
molecules into free radicals like them. Chain-breaking is
also called Stabilization.
The other aspect is more on the preventive side. Antioxidant
enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione
peroxidase prevent oxidation by reducing the rate of chain
initiation. This time, instead of waiting for the free
radicals to make a long chain of free radicals, antioxidants
scavenge initiating radicals and destroy them before
oxidation is set in motion.
Thus, aging is delayed and not only that, diseases and other
illnesses caused by harmful free radicals are avoided.
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