What are free radicals? What are the dangers of too much in the body? Which foods are more likely to scavenge too many free radicals

Guide:

"Antioxidants are chemicals of artificially manufactured or natural substances that are capable of protecting or mitigating damage to cells and tissues by free radicals (free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons). The occurrence of a variety of diseases is related to excessive damage to free radicals. “

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Free radicals are naturally formed by the body during metabolism, but the body may also be exposed to free radicals produced by external sources such as X-rays, cigarette smoke and air pollution. But too many free radicals can throw the body into chaos, causing an oxidative stress response that has been linked to several serious diseases including cancer, heart disease and some neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (dementia) and Parkinson's disease.

Because electrons prefer to run around atoms in pairs, when there are unpaired electrons in the molecule, they become highly unstable, and this molecule has a highly unstable electronic structure called free radicals, which will steal the outermost electrons from other molecules in the body, making themselves more stable, and the molecular function of the stolen electrons is destroyed, resulting in health problems or diseases, which is the basic process of free radical pathogenesis.

The Harvard Health Center says that the free radical electronic hunting process is not all bad for the human body, but there are some benefits. For example, when the immune system comes into contact with a pathogen, it sends large amounts of free radicals to attack the pathogen. Free radicals destroy pathogens by stealing their electrons, thereby weakening pathogens and helping the body fight off disease.

George Perry, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio who has studied oxidative stress for more than 40 years, said in a review published in the journal Metabolism in 2000 that excessive oxidative stress can lead to or exacerbate serious diseases in the body, including cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and more. Antioxidants act to maintain a healthy balance of free radicals, maintaining a limited number of free radicals, while preventing oxidation should stimulate life.

Antioxidants have extra electrons, which can transfer their excess electrons to free radicals, so that those free radicals become stable, no longer to steal the outer electrons of other molecules in the body, so that they do not damage the body's cells and tissues, play a role in resisting or slowing oxidative stress, and prevent serious diseases.

Many fresh vegetables contain antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids. Allicin, glutathione, flavonoids and curcumin naturally found in foods such as turmeric, apples, and wine.

Fruits offer many health benefits, such as being rich in antioxidants, essential nutrients such as potassium, fiber and folic acid (which are nutrients that help maintain blood pressure, lower cholesterol and repair body tissue). And blueberries, peaches, cranberries, apples, strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupes, papayas, watermelons, etc. are all full of antioxidants. Dried fruits such as pears, apples, figs and dates have a higher concentration of antioxidants. Even if there is no fresh product, dry product is an option.

Dr. Zhen recommends that you choose the fruits of the four seasons at any time and eat a certain amount of fruit every day, which helps to prevent the harm of too much freedom in the body.

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Original English source: https://www.livescience.com/antioxidants