Your guide to antioxidants and free radicals

You’ve probably heard of antioxidants and how its an essential part for your optimal health. You’ve even seen antioxidant supplements on store shelves.

But do you know how they function and why you even need them?

In this post, we’ll try to break it down for you. Learn about what antioxidants are and how they work.

Your body sustains it’s structure and function through chemical processes, collectively known as metabolism.

In order for molecules (in your body) to be stable, they must have the right number of electrons. If a molecule loses an electron when it isn’t supposed to, it can turn into a free radical.

However our metabolism is constantly churning out free radicals. These incomplete molecules aggressively attack other molecules in order to replace their missing parts. Free radicals also steal electrons from the proteins in your body, which badly damages your DNA and other cell structures.

What’s even worse, these free radicals can form chain reactions. This happens when molecules they damage also turn into free radicals which in turn wrecks more damage.

And this is where antioxidants come in..

Antioxidants are molecules that can inhibit the oxidation of another molecule.

When a molecule loses an electron and turns into a free radical, antioxidants “donates” the free radical an electron, effectively neutralising it. In other words, antioxidants are molecules that fight damage caused by free radicals (unstable molecules that can harm your cellular structures).

You might think that free radicals are all bad and the more antioxidant the better. However the truth is, both antioxidants and free radicals are important!

We’ve covered about the importance of antioxidants above, what you might not know is that free radicals also serve important functions in your body! One such example is how your body’s immune cells actually use free radicals to kill bacteria that try to infect you.

The important thing here to get the right balance. Your body needs the right amount of free radicals and the right amount of antioxidants to keep them in check. You start getting problems and diseases when this balance gets disrupted.

Oxidative stress is a state whereby the free radicals (pro-oxidants) in your body outnumber the antioxidants.

When this happens, important molecules in your body can become severely damaged, even leading to cell death.

Among the factors that promote excessive formation of free radicals and oxidative stress in your body are:

• Air pollution/ haze.
• Cigarette smoke.
• Alcohol intake.
• Toxins.
• High blood sugar levels.
• Consuming large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
• Radiation, including excessive sunbathing.
• Infections by bacteria, fungi or viruses.
• Intense and prolonged exercise, which causes tissue damage.
• Antioxidant deficiency.

Being in a prolonged state of oxidative stress can lead to increased risk of negative health outcomes (such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc). It also speeds up your body’s aging process.

Your body needs a wide array of antioxidants to provide you with optimal benefits. This is because they perform different functions and some are lipid-soluble whereas others are water-soluble.

These antioxidants are produced by your body:

• Glutathione
  It is known as your body’s most powerful antioxidant and is found in every single cell in your body. It is called “master antioxidant” because it can recycle and maximise the performance of all the other antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, CoQ10, alpha-lipoic acid, etc.Glutathione’s primary function is to protect your cells and mitochondria from oxidative and peroxidative damage. It is also essential for detoxification, energy utilisation, and preventing many diseases. Glutathione also eliminates toxins from your cells and protects you from the damaging effects of radiation, chemicals, and environmental pollutants.However as you age, your body’s ability to produce glutathione decreases significantly.

• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
  Aside from its free radical scavenging abilities, this powerful antioxidant can also help your body chelate heavy metal and enhance your insulin sensitivity.

• CoQ10 (Ubiquinone)
  CoQ10 is converted to ubiquinol, to maximise its benefits. It helps to produce more energy for your cells and supports heart health.

And some of the important dietary antioxidants are:

• Vitamin C
  One of the most important water-soluble antioxidants in your body and an essential dietary nutrient. Also essential for collagen synthesis.

• Phytonutrients
  These are chemicals produced by plants to stay healthy. Among them are carotenoids, curcuminoids (from turmeric), flavonoids, resveratrol etc. They are usually the compound that gives fruits and vegetables their vibrant colours. These substances function as antioxidants in your body, but they also have potent anti-inflammatory activity!