What Are Free Radicals?

Each core biological process, whether in the digestive, circulatory or nervous system, requires oxygen. Unfortunately, the same oxygen necessary for optimal cellular function also results in a potentially negative effect called oxidation. At its most basic, oxidation is a chemical process resulting in the loss of an electron during cellular activity, and we witness the effects of oxidation every time fats turn rancid, or a copper penny or unpeeled banana turns brown. What it means to human biology, however, is far worse.

These destabilized molecules are known in scientific circles as free radicals. Although free radicals cannot survive long in their unstable state, they can be dangerous in the body because of their propensity for stealing electrons from healthy cells. These damaged cells also become free radicals, creating a possible chain reaction of cellular mutation and biological damage.

On small scale, this problem is manageable (free radicals are considered a natural by-product of normal cellular metabolism), but the average person is exposed to billions of free radicals each day and thousands of attacks every hour. Scientist estimate that between 1 percent and 3 percent of our daily oxygen intake result in free radical production.

Perhaps the deadliest aspect of free-radical damage is that its affect are not felt immediately, but accumulate over time. Some scientists believe aging is actually the result of several year's worth of oxidative damage.

The resulting cumulative effects of cellular instability can cause serious cellular health effects, sometimes in the form of DNA damage or outright cell death. Damaged or mutated cells may replicate incorrectly, or not at all, leading to larger problems. This repeated "injury" to cells and tissues results in a constant state if inflammation. Inflammation is widely implicated in a number of aging related diseases and is closely intertwined with oxidative damage.

Over time, this combination of inflammation and cell damage can lead to a variety of problems ranging from immune dysfunction to heart disease to cancer.

Widely known author Nicholas Perricone says you can help slow aging and disease at the cellular level by increasing your intake of foods that are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants.

"Age-related changes may be reversed by consuming foods and beverages that are rich in a variety of compounds, including anti-oxidants, and are anti-inflammatory, such as cold water fish and richly colored fruits and vegetables," Perricone says. The açai berry is a classic example of richly colored fruit because of its high antioxidant content.

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