There are many advert about Free radicals and antioxidants
but what are they and what affect are they having on you?
What's
a free radical? If you want the science it's an unpaired
electron. These electrons produce energy for us. As well
as this, they defend us against infection too, so they are
necessary for life.
1.
Antioxidants
So the body has its own defence system, Antioxidants!
They cancel out these free radicals that are causing
damage to the surrounding cells by giving them another
electron.
2.
The only problem is these single electrons need to
be in a pair, by matching up or stealing others, more
single electrons are formed. It's when these new pairs
are formed we get problems as damage is caused to
the surrounding cells.
3.
The main part of the free radical defence system is
based onVitamin
C and Vitamin E, (see article
on Vitamin C)the only
problem being that we cannot produce these vital vitamins
ourselves. So we have to keep replacing them.
Other main antioxidants are the carotenes, especially
beta-carotene and the minerals selenium, magnesium
and zinc.
