Free Radicals and Anti-oxidants
Free
radicals are a natural by-product of the body turning food into energy
(ATP). The body has mechanisms to deal
with these free radicals, because they are highly dangerous left to their own
devices. Excess free radicals are a
problem
Because
they attack the body itself, damaging key cellular molecules such as DNA. Cells with damaged DNA may be more prone to
developing cancer. Free radical activity
has also been implicated in premature ageing, heart disease, arthritis,
cataract formation,, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.
An
excess of free radicals can be caused by:
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Smoking
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Sunbathing
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frying food
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Infections
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Excessive exercise (Note: normal exercise does not have this effect)
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Stress
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Radiation
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Polluted Environments
Factors that increasing the free
radical and cause damage and decline of immune system to decries the level of protection of the body are:
Stress,
Bad
Nutrition
Older Age
Illness.
You
can see from this list that most of us will be producing far too many free
radicals for the normal body processes to cope with, so we need to be sure that
we take in enough anti-oxidants to de-activate these excess free radicals.
What
is the damage that free radicals cause?
Free
radicals can damage any molecule in the body including the nucleus and the DNA.
Oxidation
of the LDL (“bad cholesterol”) in the blood causes it to sink into the arteries
side walls and damage them. This way an
embolism is created and as a result of the hilling process of this damage,
plaque is created and arteries are gradually blocked.
Free
radicals cause cumulative damage over time can cause a variety of diseases,
including Heart Disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, and many kinds of
Cancer.
Factors
increasing the free radical damage and decline in the level of protection of
the body are: stress, poor nutrition, older age or illness.
A lot of the symptoms of ageing are signs of
free radical damage. When the cell
membranes attacked by free radicals they either become hardened so that
nutrients cannot get into the cells, or they may be punctured so that the cell
collapses which leads to skin which is leathery or wrinkled and sagging; in the
joints this causes synovial fluid to lose its lubricating quality and cause stiffness: in cells it may damage the DNA causing in
appropriate cell division and possibility of cancer, etc.
Where do you find Anti-
Oxidants?
The Most Common anti-oxidants
that the body gets are from food and produce.
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Vitamin A
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liver, butter, sour cream,
egg yolk, fish Oil, Green leaf vegetables, carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin,
cabbage , cabbage, spinach
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Vitamin C
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Citrus fruit (and fruit in
general) Tomatoes, Green leaf vegetables, liver.
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Vitamin E
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Wheat sprouts, Soya, corn oil (cold pressed
oils) broccoli, sprouts in general, Whole cereals, eggs. Spinach, Green
leaf vegetables.
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Superoxide Dismutase
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Superoxide Dismutases (SOD)
are a class of enzymes that catalyse the dismutation of Superoxide into
oxygen and hydrogen Peroxide. As such,
they are important in all anti-oxidant defence in nearly all cells exposed to
oxygen.
There are three major
families of super- oxide dismutase, depending on the metal co- factor: Copper
and Zinc Iron , Manganese and Nickel.
For the body to build these enzymes it Needs the flowing metals
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Copper
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Whole cereals, Green
Leaf Vegetables, dry Beer yeast, molasses, and mushrooms. Nuts, Legumes,
buckwheat.
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Zinc
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An anti oxidant in itself
and in the table Below
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Iron
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Vegetables and dry spices,
dry beer yeast, Whole Sesame seeds. Whole cereals, Molasses, mushrooms, Soya
flour,
dried legumes (Chick Peas,
Broad Beans, Lubia Beans).
Cashew nuts, pine nuts,
almonds, chicken Meat, (Especially internal organs), Green Leaf
Vegetables.
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Magnesium
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dry spices, dry beer yeast,
molasses, Soya, Flour, buckwheat, legumes especially lubia Bean. Whole cereals, millet, oatmeal, corn
flour, dry onion. Most vegetables
Especially with dark green color, fruits- figs, apples and citrus.
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Nickel
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Is needed in small amounts
only and exists in most vegetables.
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Flavonoids
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Flavonoids are most
commonly known for their antioxidant
activity, it is now known that the health benefits they provide against
cancer and heart Disease are the result of other mechanisms. Flavonoids are
also commonly referred to as Bioflavonoids.
In nature they can be found
mostly in Medical herbs, spices, fruits and Vegetables. Usually food that is rich with them is rich
with Vitamin C too. Can found in – white skin of citrus, apricot, strawberry,
cherry, rose hops, Kasha, Red Pepper,
blueberry tomato papaya.
Important flavonoids groups
Are: Quercetin, Pycnogenol and Polyphenols
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Quercetin
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White skin of citrus,
apple, onion, parsley Tea, red wine.
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Pycnogenol
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Maritime pine tree bark,
grape seed oil (Cold Pressed)
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Polyphenols
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Green tea,, Red wine, Olive
Oil (Cold Pressed) Dark Chocolate , preferably 99% pure
cocoa. Also can be found in skin of
some fruits like grapes, orange and apple.
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Vitamin A Carotenoid
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Vitamin A from animal
sources – fish Especially fish liver,
butter, Cream cheese, egg yolk.
From vegetable sources -
Carrot, parsley, cabbage, spinach, red Pepper, mallow, pumpkin, persimmon,
mango, Apricot, orange, guava, melon, green beans. corn, bamiah(okra), fresh
lentil Soya beans, hazelnut, whole wheat oil of wheat sprout, Whole wheat
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Beta- Carotene
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In orange and yellow fruits
and vegetables and in orange and yellow lentils.
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Lutein & Zeaxanthin
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It is the yellow colour in
fruits and green vegetables (the colour of them is usually Green since the
chlorophyl colour Dominates. Found In passionflower, green zucchini. Cabbage,
lettuce, broccoli, spinach, beet
leaves, Rocket, (and in other baby leaves in general), spring onion. Chives,
cucumber, Brussels Sprouts, Chinese cabbage, Green Pepper, (also in the hot
chillis) green Beans (string beans) peas, asparagus, bamiah(okra), broad
beans (green) green apple, Sprouts, fennel, *1 egg yolk. Paprika weed
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*1 The amount of Lutein in
egg yolk is low but bioavailability is
very high compared with Other sources
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In order to increase
bioavailability of Lutein in spinach or any other vegetable Source it is
recommended to add a small Quantity of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
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