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Fight Free Radicals

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January is a time to welcome in new beginnings. It is a time of reflection and, in many ways, this month represents universal aging and a time for people to recognize their own shortcomings and take the time to ponder what to do about them. Resolutions ensue and in almost every case, the resolution is a step towards how we plan to live a longer and healthier life. Questions arise about the aging process, what aging entails, and what one can do about the transitions that come with it. The leading theory on aging to date involves one of my favorite topics: Free radicals and antioxidants.

Chemists have studied free radicals since the first one was discovered in the year 1900. In 1954, in the depths of the Cold War, Dr. Denham Harman was studying the effects of radiation on human biological systems at the University of Berkeley in California, and was searching for viable antidotes to the sort of radiation poisoning that results from an atomic attack. Harman understood that complex and dangerous free radical reactions could come from radiation exposure. He also understood that what made radiation exposure so dangerous was that it triggered the production of the hydroxyl radical, the most powerful and deadly oxygen radical known - one that cannot be neutralized by the evolved antioxidant defense systems of the human body. Large doses of radiation, of course, can cause cancer or death, but Harman noticed that mild radiation poisoning produced symptoms similar to premature aging. Since low levels of radical molecules occur naturally in the human body, he wondered if the slow release of naturally occurring free radicals might be responsible for aging and disease processes. Though radiation-produced radicals were quicker (and deadlier), he thought that there might be a connection between them and the free radicals produced by the day-to-day metabolism of the body. Dr. Harman then took the next conceptual step: In 1956 he published his free radical theory of aging, which became one of the most widely accepted explanation for the aging process (and remains so today). Harman’s theory proposed that a byproduct of oxygen’s metabolism in the human body - free radical molecules - can react chemically with the molecules of cells and their DNA, breaking necessary links and chains and disrupting structures and eventually bringing about the process we call aging. By 1957, Harman had demonstrated that antioxidants that work to neutralize free oxygen radicals could extend the average lifespan of laboratory mice.

We can now think of aging as the accumulation of random damage to the building blocks of life, especially to DNA and to certain proteins, carbohydrates and fats. This damage begins early and eventually exceeds the body’s self-repair capabilities. It gradually impairs the functioning of cells, tissues, organs and organ systems, thereby increasing vulnerability to disease and giving rise to the characteristic manifestations of aging: Loss of muscle and bone mass, a decline in reaction time, compromised hearing and vision, graying of the hair, reduced elasticity of the skin, and the list goes on and on. Reduced elasticity of the skin is one of the most observable consequences of the natural and inevitable aging process.

Topical creams come loaded with false-hope antioxidants that are supposed to slow down the aging of the skin. Few actually do, but it is true that free radicals damage a skin protein called elastin that holds the cells of the skin together and gives it flexibility and strength. A lack of elastin in your skin will cause it to sag and appear wrinkled and discoloured. Without free radical attack on elastin, we might be indistinguishable at eighty-five from our high school graduation pictures. However, there is a new product on the market that I believe is showing some promise. It is called CIC2 and shows some promise in slowing the signs of skin aging by lightening the look of brown spots while enhancing skin renewal, resulting in a more youthful appearance. Using plant stem cell technology, CIC2 assists the process of skin restructuring and is claimed to reduce the look of lines and wrinkles through locking in moisture and reducing the appearance of pores.

Aging exposes us to more free radical activity, and makes us more susceptible to afflictions such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and cancer, but these age-related conditions are superimposed on the actual aging process, not identical to it. Science may someday eliminate today’s leading killers of older individuals, but different maladies will take their place. The aging process guarantees that one crucial body component or another will eventually experience a catastrophic failure. It is an inescapable biological reality that once the engine of life switches on the body begins to sow the seeds of its own destruction. With the right mix of antioxidants in your diet and an additional amount from a well-formulated supplement plan and can look forward to slowing this process down. Soon, 100 will be the new 40! 

 

Bryce Wylde
Is one of Canada's leading experts on natural medicine. He is the author of The Antioxidant Prescription and host of Wylde On Health on CP24. 
www.homeopathicdoctor.ca


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