Infos about Oxidation
Oxidation is a process that uses by products formed from oxygen fighting disease to create molecular agents that react with body tissues. Unfortunately, this process can form free radicals Oxidation, or the loss of an electron, can sometimes produce reactive substances known as free radicals that can cause oxidative stress or damage to the cells. Antioxidants, by their very nature, are capable of stabilizing free radicals before they can react and cause harm, in much the same way that a buffer stabilizes an acid to maintain a normal pH. Oxidation is a natural process that occurs anytime a substance combines with oxygen – like the browning of a sliced apple or the rusting of metal. Oxidation that occurs in the human body can lead to improper functioning of the body. Substances known as free radicals, which are highly reactive (have a strong tendency to take part in chemical reactions), undergo oxidation that can result in cell damage. Oxidative damage can occur via ultraviolet light, radiation, smoking, dietary lipids, environmental pollutants, alcohol, injury, aging, strenuous exercise, and chronic disease. No one is immune to oxidative damage, but antioxidants can help slow down or prevent the oxidation process, and thus help prevent or repair damage done to your body’s cells by oxygen. Free radicals are also a crucial part of the immune system, floating through the veins and attacking foreign invaders. Free radicals can damage cells, which can lead to cancer. Some examples of antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that, according to research, can hit each cell in the body 10,000 times each day. As these free radicals constantly hit the cell membrane, it starts to break down and become weak. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals otherwise might cause. Free radicals are very unstable and react quickly with other compounds, trying to capture the needed electron to gain stability. Generally, free radicals attack the nearest stable molecule, “stealing” its electron. Free radical damage can change the instructions coded in a strand of DNA. It can make a circulating low-density lipoprotein (LDL, sometimes called bad cholesterol) molecule more likely to get trapped in an artery wall.
Tags: Aging, Antioxidants, beta-carotene, cells, free radicals, Infos about, molecular agents, Oxidation, oxidative damage, oxidative stress, oxygen fighting disease, vitamin C, vitamin E
