Oxidation and Aging

Learn How Free Radicals Speed the Aging Process

Oxidation happens from the effects of free radicals on cells and tissues in the body. It is one of the primary sources of damage associated with aging. Read more here about how it affects you and what you can do to reverse it.

How do these damaging free radicals affect us as we age?

1. Cells become damaged by free radicals, making them less efficient
2. Over time, the organs these cells are part of become less efficient as well.
3. Finally, your whole body suffers as a result of this organ damage.

For those more technically minded, we could spend pages going over the actual mechanisms of oxidation. I'll give you some links later where you can find out more if you're so inclined.

But for now, let's get right to the ways you can prevent or reverse these effects. Why? Because when you reduce cellular oxidation, you dramatically reduce the damaging effects of aging.

What Causes This Oxidative Damage?

Our bodies normally make free radicals as part of daily metabolism. The real problems come when our ability to neutralize and eliminate these diminishes.

In addition, when we are exposed to certain types of environmental poisons, more free radicals enter our systems. An example of this is cigarette smoke.

How To Combat Free Radical Damage

You have likely heard about the importance of antioxidants in your diet. These are the substances which fight the oxidative damage in our bodies. Mostly we get these from eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

Some of the more commonly known include Vitamins A, C and E. There are also others that are very effective for specific purposes. Here is a list of the most effective:

• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is called the universal antioxidant because it is both fat and water soluble. This means that it can effectively combat the oxidative effects of aging in all tissues of the body. In addition, it easily crosses the blood/brain barrier, thus helping prevent oxidative stress in your brain.
• Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are found in flax oil, but a better source comes from cold water fish, such as salmon. EFAs are great because they are not only antioxidants, but also help reduce inflammation in the body. Another great source for this is Krill Oil.
• Resveratrol, a substance in red wine and a few other foods, is also a potent antioxidant. You'll need to take a fairly large amount, up to 200 mg a day to get the full benefit from it as a supplement

To learn more about this look at the following sites: