The 100 trillion (give or take a few) cells in your body are little energy machines….and in the process of making energy, they produce by-products, much like a car engine produces exhaust. The by-products are thousands of little “free” oxygen atoms or molecules that contain an unpaired electron. This imbalance makes them very unstable (radical)…so they must search out another atom from which to “steal” an electron.
Stephen Cherniske describes it this way in his book The Metabolic Plan: “Imagine there’s a dance where everyone has a partner. The room is “stable”, and everyone is happy. Suddenly the door opens, and here’s this fellow without a date. Not only is he alone (unpaired), but he’s incredibly good-looking. So this guy goes over and steals some other guy’s date. That guy is now unpaired (and angry), so he tries to cut in on another couple. And before you know it, the entire dance floor is filled with guys fighting over the available girls. In your body, free radicals wreak similar havoc.”
As you are reading this, every single one of your 100 trillion cells is sustaining free radical “hits”…up to 10,000 of them every day. That’s every cell, getting hit 10,000 times a day by these nasty, damaging atoms/molecules!
The really bad news is that it’s not just our own cells producing “exhaust” that creates free radicals. Get a load of these other causes: diets low in highly varied plants, machines and factories spewing out free- radical pollution, increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and cigarette smoke. Every puff on a cigarette sends tens of billions of free radicals deep into your tissues. And the National Cancer Institue estimates that more than 50,000 Americans are killed by secondhand cigarette smoke every year.
Free radicals are greatly responsible for the wrinkles and lines on your face. But beneath the surface of your skin is where the real damage is caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Free radicals produced by UV radiation damage the DNA – the genetic blueprints of the cells. This causes the cells to start dividing abnormally. If this damage is not repaired it results in skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that malignant melanoma claims the life of one American every hour. See? It’s about more than just the wrinkles on your face.
Your body is under attack, and there is no shortage of published medical literature stating that free radical damage contributes to nearly all disease states: cancer, age-related brain degeneration, cardiovascular disease, and more.
However – do not despair! There is GOOD NEWS! And you can take action STARTING RIGHT NOW to do something about this!
What is an Antioxidant? The Fire Department! The Police Force! The Special Forces Unit!
Antioxidants are your first line of defense against the damage that free radicals are bound and determined to inflict on your cells. So, what are antioxidants, where do they come from, and how do I get them?
“Back in the day” – for centuries, our ancestors ate diets high in natural fruits and vegetables. You may have heard of the “hunting and gathering” diet? A study was done with a tribe of present-day hunters and gatherers, and it was noted that there were seventy-five different plants in their daily diet! And, these plants made up 70 percent of their total calories – equal to 20 servings per day. That is a high antioxidant diet! Plus, they didn’t smoke, weren’t subject to pollution, drank plenty of clear mountain spring water, and were part of a close community.
We face free radical exposure hundreds of times more than what those tribespeople face. We are so civilized that we eat very few antioxidant rich foods, we’re totally stressed out, and we think we can compensate for all of this with a multivitamin. That’s like throwing a glass of water on a huge forest fire!
Take a closer look at the average American diet, which includes less than 10 types of plants, most of which are low in antioxidants. Even though the US Department of Agriculture has been begging us to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, surveys show that less than 8 percent of Americans actually do this. Look at this statistic: the quarter of the population that eats the fewest fruits and vegetables has more than TRIPLE the heart disease rate compared to the quarter of the population with the highest intake.
OK, OK….enough guilt-tripping! I’m no better at this than you are, believe me! That’s why I am always looking for a solution to this dilemma without having to totally turn my life upside down trying to change the entire way I eat and feed my family.
The solution proposed by a growing number of scientists is to take antioxidant supplements. In 1993, two studies were published in the New England Journal of Medicine which showed that supplemental antioxidants can decrease the risk of heart disease by 26-46 percent. Additional research suggests that antioxidant supplements can also reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
I heard an interview with a Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas School of Health Science (an expert in antioxidant research) and he explained that our brains are particularly susceptible to damage from free radicals, and that supplementation with powerful antioxidants is a key to maintaining brain function!
Yea! Now THIS is something I can DO! The question is: which supplements?
* Alpha Lipoic acid
* Folic acid (from foliage of dark green, leafy veggies)
* Vitamin B12
* Green Tea (polyphenols)
* Spices: cayenne, garlic, tumeric, cumin, rosemary, oregano, and paprika
* Whole food powdered green drinks
* Whole food purple/red fruit concentrates
* Coenzyme Q-10
* Selenium
* Ginkgo biloba
I recommend you order The Metabolic Plan by Stephen Cherniske. His book will give you all the detail you need to make wise choices.
Here’s to your health!
Edi Sowers is a Life Strategy and Business Coach who helps professional women working from home achieve critical balance between their professional and personal priorities. Visit [http://www.lifehousecoaching.com] to sign up for her free weekly articles in “Blueprints for a Dream Life.” Visit [http://www.sowerse.oasiswellness.com] to learn about the company Edi’s chosen for her supplement “home.”
