Oxidative stress

What is oxidative stress?

Oxidation is the natural process of your body acting on oxygen as the body inhales and exhales it.

This process produces molecules known as free radicals. These are oxygen-containing molecules that have one or more unpaired electrons. The molecule then “steals” an electron from another molecule to stabilize itself.

Not all free radicals are harmful to the body; some are useful for killing pathogens. However, others can damage cells in your body, such as DNA cells or proteins, and steal their electrons to stabilize themselves. Normally, antioxidants inside the body pair up with the free radical and “borrow” an electron from them, neutralizing them before they can cause cell damage.

Oxidation is your body’s natural process.

Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals in the body and the antioxidants available to fight them.

What are the consequences of oxidative stress?

Oxidative stress is believed to play a role in a variety of diseases, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory conditions and heart disease. However, this has not been proven and research to establish this is ongoing.

Until recently, oxidative stress was thought to be a key factor in aging. However, more recent studies have shown no link between oxidative stress damage and life expectancy, and aging is now believed to be a much more complicated process.

How is oxidative stress treated?

Oxidative stress can be minimized with a diet rich in antioxidants. Foods rich in vitamin E and vitamin C, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals, all contain antioxidants.

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It is important to emphasize that there is no evidence to suggest that vitamin supplements fight oxidative stress, but some types of antioxidant supplements have been found to increase the chances of developing lung cancer, stroke, and prostate cancer.