We hear a lot of talk of “free-radicals” these days. Skin creams tell us they contain anti-oxidants to defend the body against free radicals, certain vitamins are said to help the body fight against attack. But many people do not understand exactly what free radicals are, so let’s take a look at what they are and how they affect our health.
Research into free radicals is in its infancy, which is why we haven’t heard much about them until recently. The technology needed to look into the question simply wasn’t available until about ten years ago, a short time in medical research terms. But free radicals are something we all ought to be concerned about, especially when we are thinking of our looks, the ageing process and our health.
The body is made up of tissues and cells. These cells are made up of molecules. Within the molecules are electrons, and electrons like to go around in pairs.
A free radical is a molecule with an unpaired electron. It therefore sets about trying to find another electron to pair with, and when it finds one, it leaves another electron without a partner, and so on. This continual search for a pair leads to a cascade of reactions, and this in turn leads to cell damage and damage to the body.
Free radicals start their journey of destruction, because the body’s cells are being attacked by poisons from food and the atmosphere. Indeed, two of our worst enemies are sunlight and tobacco smoke, both leading to the skin ageing, and to cancer.
However, just as the body is able to ward off infections and illnesses, it is also brilliantly designed to take on free radical attack by the production of anti-oxidant defenses. These primarily take the form of vitamins E and C. If we are at risk from enhanced radical attack – perhaps because we live in a polluted environment, if we smoke cigarettes or suffer from second hand smoke, or expose ourselves to the sun – the body’s normal defenses may not be enough. Therefore, to prevent free radical attack we should either take vitamin supplements, or better still, eat a diet which includes plenty of foods rich in anti-oxidants.
Vitamins which guard against free radicals:
- Vitamin A and BetacaroteneVitamin A is present in liver, dairy produce and oily fish. Betacarotene is an especially valuable anti-oxidant, and is responsible for the color in vegetables such as red and yellow peppers and carrots.
- Vitamin EVitamin E stimulates our immune response, and should be taken by people on low-cholesterol diets, who over-consume polyunsaturated oils. Commonly found in nuts, seeds, fish oils, seeds and wheat germ, you do not need much of this vitamin. A handful of nuts a day or the addition of a tablespoonful of wheat germ to a meal is quite sufficient.
- Vitamin CFound in all citrus fruits, cranberries, kiwifruit, potatoes and vegetables such as peppers.
- SeleniumThe trace mineral selenium is a powerful protector. Butter, Brazil nuts, avocados, lentils and shellfish are particularly rich in selenium.
Hopefully by now you are better educated on how the foods and minerals you eat can play a big part in your body’s defense system. Even steps like taking a multivitamin each day, go a long way in promoting your body’s health and ultimately fighting diseases.