|
Within
Ayurlight Home Articles Ayurveda Yoga Books Education Resources Contact About
    |
|
Free Radicals and Antioxidants By Sarah Tewhey Free Radicals sound wild and dangerous and they live up to their name. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that are produced naturally by our bodies to assist the immune system in destroying harmful bacteria and viruses. They are also sometimes involved in enzyme and hormone production. (Balch 54) However, when free radicals get out of control in the body serious problems can develop. Electrons are the part of an atom that carry a negative charge and they generally like to be paired with another electron. In contrast free radicals have one or more electrons that are unpaired making them highly reactive and unstable. Because of this missing electron free radicals scavenge to steal electrons from neighboring molecules. The molecules that free radicals steal from end up with missing electrons and a serious electron crime ring is put into play. This process creates unpredictable and unnatural chemical reactions within the body that can cause unhealthy changes. (Noss Whitney 361) Free Radicals have been found to disrupt the transportation of substances through cell walls, damage cellular DNA by creating mutations in the coding, and have been connected to heart disease, several forms of cancer, impaired immunity and the entire process of aging. Aside from the normal quantities of free radicals that are actually beneficial, unhealthy extras can come from a variety of sources. Radiation such as the sun and x-rays, chemical pollutants in food, water and air, certain substances in cigarette smoke and alcohol have all been found to produce free radicals. Rancid oils such as those heated to high temperatures for cooking fried foods and those oils that are hydrogenated also make good homes for these molecules. The good news is that antioxidants are willing to bind with and neutralize the unstable free radicals. Our bodies also make small amounts of antioxidants, but largely our antioxidant sources come from diet. The main groups containing antioxidants are Vitamins C, E, A and some of the B vitamins. Minerals selenium and zinc, the hormone melatonin and to an unknown extent the bioflavonoids are all potent providers of antioxidants. Foods containing high levels of antioxidants include barley and wheat grasses, carotenoids (the substances that make foods red, orange, yellow and dark green), garlic, green tea and sprouts. In general, eating a healthy diet with a variety of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and getting sufficient exercise will provide ample levels of antioxidants. Recently there has been a lot of debate regarding the role of antioxidants that have been isolated from whole foods in the form of nutritional supplements. Many supplements are promoting their antioxidant value, however it is unclear if isolated antioxidants do more harm than good. Recent studies using smokers have showed that supplements of vitamin E and beta-carotene over five to eight years showed no improvement in the onset in of lung cancer. In the end the group given only beta-carotene actually had a higher rate of lung cancer than the control group. (Noss Whitney 362) It was later found that very high doses of beta-carotene might disrupt normal cell division (Balch 58) Because antioxidants tend to work together to create results it seems safest to obtain them naturally through diet instead of isolated supplements. If you do choose to take a supplement select one that offers a wide variety of antioxidants in the formula instead of just one or two. Balch, Phyllis, and Balch, James. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. 3rd ed. New York: Avery, 2000. Noss-Whitney, Eleanor, and Rady Rolfes, Sharon. Understanding Nutrition. 8th ed. Blemont, California, Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1999. copyright 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------ Sarah Tewhey is a student and teacher of Yoga, Ayurveda and the healing arts. She completed two years of study with Dr. Vasant Lad at The Ayurvedic Institute and a B.S. at Lesley University in Mind/Body Studies with a specialization in the female healing process and its relationship to modern medicine. Sarah is currently a student in the Masters program at Southwest Acupuncture College in Albuquerque. Sarah can be contacted at: sarah@ayurlight.com |
|
|
Copyright © 2002 Ayurlight.com |
