Free Radicals

Free radicals are molecules that lose electrons, so that the molecules become unstable and are always trying to take electrons from other molecules or cells. Free radicals can be generated from the metabolism of the body and external factors such as cigarette smoke, the result of ultraviolet radiation, chemicals in food and other pollutants.

Diseases caused by free radicals tend to chronic, means it takes many years for the diseases becomes apparent. Some example of diseases that are often associated with free radicals is heart attack and cancer. To prevent or reduce chronic diseases because of free radicals, we need antioxidants.

Actually, the human body can neutralize these free radicals, however if the amount is too excessive, then the ability to neutralize them will be on the wane. Smoking, for example, is an activity that intentionally incorporates a range of chemical toxins which natured as free radicals into the body. The human body is designed to receive natural intake, so that when receiving feedback such as cigarette smoke, it will attempt to remove these chemical toxins from the body through metabolic processes, but these metabolic processes are actually generate free radicals. In essence, the activity of smoking is totally useless to the body, even though we can found some long-aged smokers.

The free radicals which take electrons from the cells of the human body can cause transformation in DNA structure so that the mutant cells become arise. When this DNA transformation happens in years, it can become cancer. The human body can actually produce antioxidants, but the amount is often insufficient to neutralize free radicals that enter the body. Or very often, triggering substances needed by the body to produce enough antioxidants are not enough for consumed. For example, the human body can produce Glutathione, one of the most powerful antioxidants, it's just that, the body requires vitamin C intake of 1000 mg to trigger the body to produce this glutathione. The balance between antioxidants and free radicals is the major key to prevent oxidative stress and chronic diseases which produced by it.

Rusdi Hamdy Gultom is a blogger who actively writes about many topics, including mesothelioma death and other health issues.