Oxidative stress is a term which
is not familiar with most of us. But every time we draw breath it happens to
us. Our body utilizes only 21% of the oxygen we breathe in to carry out all the
vital functions of our body. This process is very amazing, but there is
something happening that is not so good.
As the body does useful things with the oxygen in each and every breath,
it also produces free radicals. These free radicals damage the RNA, DNA and
protein by attaching themselves to them. The body has a very clever mechanism
of spotting out these damaged DNA, RNA and proteins and repairs them. This is a
wonderful body process which is an answer to the damage. This process is known
as oxidative response process.
All these processes don’t remain
the same forever. As the person gets older, the ability of the repair process
to repair this damage diminishes. This is the time when the problems start.
Oxidative stress has a relationship with almost very major disease known to
mankind. Some of the major diseases that have connection with oxidative stress
are Altzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, COPD,
diabetes, low immunity, Parkinson’s disease, emphysema, respiratory diseases
such as asthma, heart disease, the killer disease cancer, to name a few.
Medical experts have been doing enough research on this topic for last 50 years
and have found out that the body produces antioxidants which search for free
radicals and destroy them. This was considered as the main cause behind the
problem.
As all the body processes change
with time, the ability of the body to produce anti-oxidants also diminish as
the person ages. But with the advancement of medical science, this problem has
been addressed. If the body’s capability of producing anti-oxidants diminishes,
it can be added to the body from outside by taking anti-oxidant supplements.
It
was also discovered that some foods contain a very high amount of
anti-oxidants. Spring greens, cabbage, many fruits and many fruits have a high
amount of antioxidants. So doctors advice to consume at least five portions of
vegetables and fruits every day. Studies reveal that people who eat a lot of
broccoli are very less likely to suffer from many types of cancer. It is very
difficult to eat five portions of vegetables and fruits every day. To
supplement this, specialist pills, drinks and powders are available in the
market. These supplements contain all the goodness of fruits and vegetables.
The problem with such supplements is that they don’t have a good taste and their
price is very high. Recent studies have shown that these supplements are not
enough to destroy all the free radicals produced in the body. Only about 50% of
the free radicals are destroyed.
The free radicals can cause a lot
of other disorders. It is not really possible to live without their presence.
So it is very important to check their formation and consume enough
anti-oxidants to balance them. Leading a healthy life and eating a balanced
diet is the key.