Are You Getting Old… Or Just Rusting Away? A Beginner’s Guide to Free Radicals and Antioxidants

If you snoozed a bit through those high school science classes, here's a brief refresher: The human body is composed of many different types of cells. These cells are made up of molecules, such as fat, protein, DNA, water, sugar and, of course, oxygen molecules.

Molecules consist of one or more atoms, joined together by pairs of electrons that orbit around each atom’s nucleus.

Occasionally, the bonds holding the molecules together become damaged; leaving the oxygen molecules with an unpaired electron and creating an unbalanced state. These wobbly, unstable molecules are called free radicals. Free radical oxygen molecules react quickly to regain their balance by "stealing" an electron from the nearest stable molecule. This, in turn, creates another free radical, causing a chain reaction known as oxidation – the same process that causes cars to rust and apples to turn brown.

In the human body, oxidation damages cell structure and reduces the cells' ability to function normally. One example can be seen in aged, leathery skin, in which the cell walls have become rigid due to free radical damage.

Free radical damage can alter the genetic material (DNA) inside a cell, leading to unregulated cell growth, which could ultimately result in health concerns.

The big picture

So free radicals are bad news, right? While you cannot stop the body’s production of free radicals, you can reduce their production in excess.

Free radicals are actually essential for good health and arise normally during many metabolic processes. The body’s immune system creates them to kill viruses and bacteria, and to fight infections. Cells even use free radicals to communicate with one another. And, in most cases, naturally occurring free radicals are controllable.

The trouble comes from the creation of excess free radicals, which can overwhelm the body’s ability to neutralize them – and can lead to cellular damage. Too many free radicals are produced when the body is overexposed to things like sunlight, alcohol, chemicals in food and water, certain drugs, air pollution, tobacco smoke, pesticides and herbicides, radiation, allergens, stress and emotional upsets, excessive exercise and even certain dietary substances, like fats.

In other words, it would be virtually impossible to escape everything in life that creates free radical damage. Free radical damage accumulates with age, too. Many scientists believe that it plays a role in the health concerns and conditions associated with aging.

Antioxidants: nature’s rust fighters

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-stealing chain reaction. Unlike other molecules, antioxidant nutrients don’t become free radicals themselves, because they’re able to remain stable despite unpaired electrons. They act as scavengers, helping to prevent molecular damage that could lead to cellular damage and disease.

To actually see how antioxidants work, try this simple experiment:

Take two slices of an apple, and dip one in orange juice (a natural antioxidant). Place both slices side by side on a paper towel. After 30 minutes, the slice dipped in orange juice will still be white and appetizing. The undipped slice will not be. Oxidation from free radicals will have attacked the apple’s cells and turned the apple brown.

Growing evidence strongly suggests that antioxidants have the power to reduce cell damage. Antioxidants may also improve immune system function and could possibly slow down some effects of aging, thanks to their ability to intercept and extinguish free radicals.

Fighting back: fruits, vegetables and supplements

Technically speaking, antioxidants are in a class of vitamins and nutritional ingredients that help the body to eliminate free radicals. These include vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Minerals such as selenium, copper, manganese and zinc also have antioxidant properties. There are many other antioxidant compounds in food, such as flavonoids found in fruit, vegetables, wine and tea; CoQ-10 and many sulfur-containing amino acids.

The effectiveness of an antioxidant is generally measured in terms of its Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). The antioxidant qualities of fruits and vegetables are much higher – and generally healthier for you overall – than most other types of foods. So, be sure to eat a balanced diet that includes five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Ready for some really good news? Chocolate (especially the dark stuff) has been found to contain high levels of antioxidants. Dark chocolate has 13,120 ORAC units per 100 grams – almost three times the antioxidant power of prunes. (Milk chocolate has 6,740 units.) The bad news is, of course, chocolate also has a lot of fat, sugar and calories. But, at least you don’t have to feel as guilty when you eat it!

Several herbs also have demonstrated antioxidant activity. These include bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), green tea extract, grape seed extract and pine bark extract.

In addition, research has shown that antioxidants' protective effects occur when they're taken at doses much higher than the recommended daily allowances (RDAs). For example, antioxidant/vitamin C studies typically use doses of about 1,000 mg of vitamin C (roughly the vitamin content of 14 oranges). Since it is unlikely that you'd eat 14 oranges, a vitamin C or multivitamin supplement would be a more viable option.

Take your multivitamin

A high-quality daily multivitamin will provide you with a full spectrum of antioxidant vitamins and minerals while supplying you with everything else you need to build a strong foundation for overall good health.