Beauty products are often sold with the promise of slowing or reversing the aging process. Many fear the prospect of cancer and are concerned with cancer prevention and finding a cure. We use beauty cremes and eat foods that contain antioxidants to fight these two conditions. What many do not know is that these antioxidants fight free radicals, the molecules responsible for aging and cancer.
Free Radicals
Molecules are either stable or unstable, meaning that they may be less reactive or more reactive. A molecule will react until it reaches stability. Free radicals are unstable molecules.
In an atom, electrons are usually paired. An electron that is not in a pair is more likely to react with another atom and form a bond. Free radicals have unpaired electrons. When a free radical reacts with another molecule, it steals an electron from that molecule. Although the free radical becomes stable, it turns the other molecule into a free radical that will react with yet another molecule. This chain reaction causes tissue damage.
Aging and Cancer
The genetic material in a cell contains instructions for controlled cell division. In other words, it tells the cell how to divide and when. It also provides the information for how that cell should work. Free radicals can damage this material and promote uncontrolled, rapid cell division and prevent appropriate cell differentiation. This is cancer.
The cell contains organelles called mitochondria. Mitochondria are responsible for producing the energy needed for cellular processes. Mitochondria contain their own DNA. Unlike the nuclear DNA, the mitochondrial DNA cannot be repaired by the cell. This contributes to the aging process.
The Formation of Free Radicals
Free radicals are not an abnormal occurrence or condition within the body. Electron sharing, releasing, and gaining are the mechanisms by which atoms react. In other words, a chemical reaction is the transfer or electrons.
The body is full of complex chemical reactions that are constantly occurring. Free radicals are a normal byproduct of cellular metabolism and sometimes have a positive role in the body's processes.
In his article "Free Radicals and Reactive Oxygen", R. Bowen says, "They are generated in a number of reactions essential to life and…phagocytic cells generate radicals to kill invading pathogen. Despite their beneficial activities, reactive oxygen species clearly can be toxic to cells. [Radicals are] highly reactive and able to damage all macromolecules, including lipids, proteins and nucleic acids."
While free radicals do offer some benefits to the body, they also cause a lot of damage. It is for this reason that antioxidant-rich foods, such as wine and tomatoes, are often the focus of the media and recommended by the health community.
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