Health – Causes of Free Radicals

Causes of Free Radicals

Free radicals are naturally produced in our body.  Chemical reactions occurring in our body leads to the production of free radicals.  Another cause is our immune system; they create free radicals to fight off diseases.  A free radical is any atom or molecule with one or more unpaired electron.  The free radical missing an electron is, highly unstable and reactive.  The net effect of free radical is almost always net oxidation. 

Following are the causes: -

·        When we exercise excessively the free radicals are produced in large numbers

·        Severe emotional stress causes the number of free radicals to rise in large quantity

·        Air containing Ozone, Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur dioxide and several Hydrocarbon molecules, all of which generates a significant amount of free radicals, even occupational hazards like mineral dusts and asbestoses fiber

·        Cigarette smoke contains different kinds of toxins, which increases the amount of free radicals, even secondary smoke have an increased risk

·        Our water supply is contaminated with more than fifty thousand different chemicals and our food is contaminated with chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, which increases the risk of free radicals

·        Ultra violet rays produces free radicals in human skin

·        Drugs are essentially a foreign substance and our metabolic system need excess effort to work on the drug and this extra effort produces more free radicals

The causes reflected above leads to oxidative stress and as explained we suffer from chronic degenerative diseases. For a healthy life take as much precaution as possible against these causes, do moderate exercises, eat healthy food and nutritional supplements to win the war against free radicals.  Go To HEALTH INFORMATION

Health – Oxidative Stress

Human body is made up of different organs like heart, lungs, muscles, skin etc.  The smallest building units of organs are specialized cells.  Due to the damages caused to these cells we grew old.  The damage to the cells of the vital organs eventually leads to death.  These damages are inflicted by free radicals.  The free radicals attack cell walls making holes leading to chemical imbalance.  Free radicals also cause damage to parts of cells such as proteins, DNA and cell membrane by stealing their electrons through a process called oxidation.  That is why free radical damage also called oxidative damage.  READ MORE.....