There are many ways that our increasingly toxic environment can damage our bodies, yet our bodies are resilient and provides us with ways to not only survive, but thrive. In this blog we will explore the function of antioxidants to aid us in thriving. Free Radicals Before we explore what antioxidants are and why they are essential to life, we have to define what "free radicals" are. Free radicals are atoms that contain an unpaird electron. They are reactive and unstable molecules that need to bind to another electron to become stable. They are produced by our own bodies. Certain types of free radicals can be useful to the body. They can aid our immune system and help us break down nutrients to give us energy from what we eat. The trouble is, we can also take in free radicals from our environment. What we consume and breathe in from the air add to the load of free radicals in our bodies. When we have too many of them in our bodies they can cause damage. Free radicals can come from:
The main type of damage from free radicals in our bodies is called "oxidative stress." "Once free radicals are generated, whether through exposure to a carcinogen or doing the normal processes of body metabolism, they are free to do damage. The availability of free radicals creates what is known as oxidative stress in the body. The reason it is named oxidative stress is that the reactions that occur which result in free radicals obtain an electron are done in the presence of oxygen. To put it more simply, oxidative stress is when there are too many free radicals and too few antioxidants in your body. Free radicals use oxygen to cause damage in any part of our bodies when there are not enough antioxidants to prevent them. Because free radicals have an uneven number of electrons, they bind easily to anything in our bodies. Our DNA, cells, lipids, and organs are all susceptible to free radical damage. The damage created by free radicals in the presence of oxygen is stressful to our bodies, so it becomes known as "oxidative stress." Oxygen is vital to life, so there is always plenty in our bodies for them to use. Oxidative stress damage can look like (but is not necessarily the only cause of):
There is no way we can prevent creating or consuming too many free radicals when all the ingredients they need to be produced are plentiful in our bodies and environment. We live in a world full of air pollution, light pollution, and food and drink contamination. We cannot fully escape breathing in tobacco smoke, fragrances, car exhaust, mold spores, pollen, and other "air toxics" that put more free radicals into our bodies. We can choose clean organic foods and drinks, but due to the nature of growing and producing food, as well as packaging it, the odds are we're all going to eat food with chemicals we don't want to ingest. Antioxidants Antioxidants work to stop free radicals because they can donate an electron to the free radical to stabilize it. This means that the free radical will no longer need to bind to anything else in our bodies to stabilize, so they can no longer cause damage. Yes, it is your liver's job to neutralize free radicals in your body. Your liver naturally produces the master antioxidant, Glutathione, to do this. "Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide non-protein thiol that acts as an antitoxin & antioxidant which combats oxidative stress. Specifically, glutathione protects cells from being damaged by free radicals that are produced as a by-product of chemical oxidation. Glutathione is found in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria. In mammals, glutathione is found in every cell of the body, with particularly high concentrations in the liver (given that the liver is the main detoxifying organ) the spleen (main immune defense system), and especially the skin (largest organ of the body). How to Balance Free Radicals and Antioxidants in our Bodies? The more polluted our world is, the more polluted our bodies will be. This means our liver might not be able to keep up with all the free radicals in our bodies. Thankfully, antioxidants are easy to obtain. We can eat antioxidants and supplement with them. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, and may improve the ability of you liver to produce more glutathione. Focus on tree nuts, berries, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, green tea, and dark chocolate. We can supplement with natural antioxidants like glutathione, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Turmeric, or Melatonin. Or we can take supplements that support the creation of glutathione, like n-acetyl-l-cysteine or whey protein. Here are some good suggestions that we sell at Terry's: Glutathione As described above, glutathione the body's master antioxidant. It can be an excellent supplement, but there are some considerations with taking it. Glutathione supplements are difficult to absorb and all are not created equal. Reduced Glutathione (Setria™) absorbs much better than plain glutathione. Ask for our Now Brand Glutathione for this Setria™ form. Our Terry Naturally Clinical Glutathione is also an excellent choice for superior absortion. Direct glutathione supplementation has the potential to make you feel worse before you feel better. It can give you rashes, hives, and flu-like symptoms. This is because it mobilizes toxins and free radicals, and your body then has to work to push them out. Often times they will push out through your skin, one of the main detox organs, in the form of hives or rashes. If you experience this and do not wish to continue with glutathione, there are other methods to increasing your glutathione naturally without supplementing with it. N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) NAC is a an amino acid precursor to glutathione production. In other words, it helps your body naturally make glutathione. It works very well in combination with glutathione supplementation due to the fact that it is difficult to absorb all of the glutathione in your supplement, but it allows you to get glutathione while your body works to produce it from the NAC supplement. We have a couple brands available, including the Natural Factors brand. Resveratrol Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant with many uses. You might be familiar with it as one of the healthy properties of red wine. It has been clinically studied to reduce blood pressure by softening stiff arteries, improve cholesterol, slow down age-related cognitive decline, activate AMPK (which improves insulin resistance), reduce inflammation, and suppress cancer cells. We recommend the Reserveage brand. Emerald Anti-Aging Complex This complex by Emerald contains a blend of antioxidants from berries, resveratrol, and glutathione. It is an excellent all-in-one supplement to gently increase your antioxidant intake. It is marketed for anti-aging because antioxidants are the key to anti-aging supplements. Amla, otherwise known as Indian Gooseberry The Amla berry is a superfood, meaning it contains many nutritional benefits. It is commonly used as a vitamin C supplement due to its very high vitamin c content. It is also a potent antioxidant, helps the body absorb calcium more easily, suppresses high blood sugar, helps the body adapt to stress, promotes regular bowel movements, and more. This is an excellent all-in-one supplement. We recommend Organic India's Alma. Sources and Further Reading: The Free Radical Theory Of Aging: A Brief Overview - Ancient and Active Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in heart disease | Experimental & Molecular Medicine (nature.com) Antioxidants: In Depth | NCCIH (nih.gov) Oxidative Stress: Definition, Effects on the Body, and Prevention (healthline.com) Free Radicals: Definition, Cause, and Role in Cancer (verywellhealth.com) What is oxidative stress? Effects on the body and how to reduce (medicalnewstoday.com) Indian Gooseberry Benefits, Nutrition, Recipes and Side Effects - Dr. Axe Amla - Benefits and Side Effects (herbslist.net) 7 Health Benefits of Resveratrol Supplements (healthline.com) Blog by Sarah Langer
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