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Free Radicals: What Is It And How To Prevent

Free radical can cause many heath problems such as aging

Free radicals can be any atom, molecule, or ion that has an unpaired valence electron, such as hydrogen and chlorine also can be free radicals.

It is extremely reactive and unstable, can do chemically react with most substances.

Free radicals in the human body

In the human body, free radicals are by-products of respiration and metabolism called oxygen-containing free radicals. Oxygen finally becomes our healthy nightmare.

As long as people live, you won’t avoid the damage that comes from oxygen-containing free radicals.

Oxygen keeps your life going when you are breathing, also some oxygen will be converted in the cells and become oxygen-containing free radicals to damage your health.

Not all free radicals are bad

Even so, it’s not to say that free radicals are bad for our health at all. A certain amount can prevent and protect our body won’t get invasion by bacteria, mold, viruses.

Normally, free radicals will keep a balance status within the human body. Only when we suffer abnormal, it will produce in our body.

The abnormal means you are in a bad environment or emotion which can include UV, EM waves, air pollution, smoking, stress, anxiety, stay up late, and so on.

Sometimes you are upset, the only things you need is rest

What free radicals can damage

Once the free radical amount breaks the balance in the human body, the extra oxygen-containing free radicals will do oxidative stress with protein, carbohydrates, lipids, and other cells.

Oxidative stress can destroy collagen and its connective tissue, interfere with physiological processes, cause cells to damage and DNA mutations.

Typically, the human body can restore this damage. However, cells will be tired during the attack that comes from free radicals again and again.

When cells don’t work, the human body is unable to eliminate free radicals or scavenge waste after oxidative stress, the damage will gradually accumulate.

Then, cell senescence will be impossible to avoid. You won’t look young anymore and age faster.

Finally, the symptoms such as organ aging, physical decline, loose skin, and weakened immunity gradually will appear.

What disease can it caused

Free radicals are related to many diseases, including heart disease, arteriosclerosis, phlebitis, arthritis, allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, coronary heart disease, and cancer.

How to prevent free radicals 

1. Keep happy emotion

Try to keep in a good mood, and avoid bad emotions such as stress, irritability, anxiety, depression, and tension to reduce the free radical production.

A good day beginning

2. Do exercise

Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is the natural antioxidant inside the human body. It can scavenge free radicals, and prevent their formation.

Keep doing aerobic exercise can increase the amount of glutathione peroxidase inside the human body.

Workout day

3. Intake of trace elements

Through trace elements such as copper, iron, zinc, manganese, and selenium. They can active the anti-free radical enzymes scavenge excess free radicals in the body.

Anit-free radical enzymes can include superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase.

4. Eat antioxidant food

There are some useful sources of antioxidants such as fresh olive oil, tea, wine, fruits, vegetables, and vitamins.

For fruits and vegetables, most of them rich in antioxidants, you can feel free to eat.

Antioxidant vitamins can include vitamin A/C/E, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and so on.

Diversity vegetables

The bottom line

We write this simple article just wants more people to know what is free radical and why you should prevent it.

You can easily understand free radicals without chemical knowledge here. For more detailed information that will involve chemistry, you can find it on google if you want to know.

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