Free RadicalsFree radicals are toxic atoms that cause injury to cells and their DNA molecules. These atoms are constantly assaulting us from all directions. They come from our environment, pollutants in the air we breathe and the water we drink, chemicals from products we use everyday, cigarette smoke, our diets in the form of fats damages by frying, nitrates and nitrites from cured meats, and junk foods. Free radicals are also a byproduct of normal healthy cell functioning. A free radical is a highly reactive atom that can destroy the tissues of the body. All atoms contain very small particles called electrons. These electrons normally come in pairs and atoms with paired electrons are very stable. Sometimes an atom will have only one electron which makes it very unstable. An atom with an unpaired atom, known as a free radical, will frantically search for another electron grabbing on to any electron it can find. By stealing electrons, free radicals destroy other molecules. The oxygen is most often the molecule that ends up "donating" the electron, thus resulting in the name oxidation for this damaging process. Oxidation is the same process that causes apples to turn brown when you cut them open or that causes metal to rust. This process of oxidation damages the delicate cell structures and the DNA leading to cellular aging and a host of degenerative diseases including America's two biggest killers: heart disease and cancer. The body naturally produces antioxidants to ward off oxidation but it is no match for the barrage of free radicals that we are bombarded with daily. One of the best ways to defend ourselves against the damaging effects of oxidation is to supplement our diets with good high quality antioxidants. The most potent antioxidant available today comes in the form of the
acai berry.
This video explains how free radicals and antioxidants work:
Return to Acai Nutrition
|
