Antioxidants

Antioxidants are necessary for a healthy life as they prevent or help us recover from a number of degenerative or age-related health problems such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration. The oxygen that is in the air we breathe combines with other elements in the body in a metabolic process to release energy. This natural process involves oxidation or the oxygen atom stealing an electron from another atom or molecule which must then gain another electron. Almost everything in the world is being oxidized. Fat turns rancid, paper turns brown, iron rusts and the exposed flesh of most fruit turns brown. The cells of all plants and animals are undergoing a continuous cycle of oxidation (losing an electron) and reduction (gaining an electron). The body uses antioxidants to neutralize the damage caused by oxidation. Oxygen and other atoms or molecules that are unstable because they lack an electron are called free radicals. These free radicals don’t like to exist in an unstable state and will steal another electron from where ever they can and can damage the cell that they oxidize until they are neutralized by an antioxidant. Free radicals are created as part of the body’s normal metabolic process and if there are insufficient antioxidants available to donate electrons and neutralize the free radicals then cell damage will result. When we are young, the body generates some of the antioxidants it needs and it acquires the remainder from the food we eat. As we get older, the body generates less of the internally generated or endogenous antioxidants like CoQ10 and the free radicals outnumber the antioxidants. This means the body is unable to repair the free radical damage and it ages and becomes subject to age-related degenerative diseases. There is more information on the theory of aging in our Anti-aging section. Degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease are currently thought to be a result of free radical attacks on proteins that make up much of the body’s cells, tissues and brain. Free radical attacks on the body’s fats, especially the low-density lipoproteins (LDL), can make changes to the LDL molecules that trigger a white blood cell attack and create inflamed plaque that adheres to artery walls. Free radical attacks on DNA can result in the mutation of our DNA codes that cause cells to become cancerous and multiply rapidly. The key to slowing the aging process and associated diseases is to ensure the body has an excess supply of antioxidants.

Supplements

Antioxidant supplements can be obtained from a number of sources. You can supplement the body’s supply through nutritional and dietary supplements and by eating a diet rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals contained in colorful fruits and vegetables. It is interesting to note that phytochemicals include both carotenoids which you can gain from your colored vegetables and fruits and flavonoids which are found in fruits, vegetables, green tea, black tea, red wine and even dark (70%+ cocoa) chocolate. You can also take vitamin supplements to add to the body’s supply of antioxidants. Vitamins C and E, and quasi-vitamins Coenzyme Q10 and alpha lipoic acid are all powerful antioxidants that are used by the body to limit antioxidant damage. Weight loss supplements like CoQ10 are also involved in the metabolic process and taking this supplement will help raise our metabolism level and aid in weight loss. Eating a healthy diet rich in antioxidant containing fruits and vegetables and containing carbohydrates that have a low Glycemic Index (GI) will also result in weight loss. See our article on Healthy Eating to learn how to substitute low GI foods for unhealthy high GI foods. If you are interested is looking at a weight loss diet that requires almost no behavioral modification, see our free article entitled The Psychiatrist’s Weight Loss Program.

Anti-aging

The free radical theory of aging has been generally accepted because it best explains the causes of age-related degenerative diseases. The key to anti-aging and preventing the onset of age related diseases is to ensure that the body has an excess supply of antioxidants and phytochemicals to neutralize free radical attacks and repair the body. You should also avoid generating excess free radicals by being exposed to ultra violet radiation, air pollutants like cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust, and other toxic chemicals and pollutants. Some antioxidants are produced in the body but as we grow older the production decreases significantly and we have to obtain our anti-aging antioxidants through diet and supplements. The same anti-aging supplements that we use to fight free radical damage of our internal cells should also be applicable to anti-aging skin care products. While Vitamins A, C and E are commonly found in today’s sun protection and skin care products, CoQ10 and alpha lipoic acid are just being introduced to the industry.

Cancer Prevention and a Healthy Diet

The latest research has shown that a large number of available foods that make up a healthy diet actually have a major impact on cancer prevention. These cancer fighting foods seem to have the ability to interfere with the development of cancerous tumors. The initial stage of cancer development usually occurs when the cells are exposed to a toxic substance which generates large quantities of free radicals and damages the cell DNA. Carcinogenic substances contained in our food, ultraviolet rays from the sun, cigarette smoke and air/water pollutants are all capable of damaging our cell’s DNA and initiating cancer development. At this point in time the cancer tumors are only beginning to develop and many food molecules contained in our healthy diet can prevent this development from occurring. Fortunately most tumors that start to develop in our bodies remain micro tumors due to the antioxidants and cancer fighting phytochemicals that we ingest in our normal healthy diet. The 10 best cancer prevention foods are discussed in our new section on Cancer Prevention and a Healthy Diet.