Free Radicals In medical science, it is now the general consensus that free radicals are the cause of many modern degenerative diseases. They cause damage to the cells, reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, that can lead to infections and cause more serious conditions such as heart disease and even cancer. To add to all this, scientists are now generally agreed that free radical damage is responsible for the ageing process. So what are Free Radicals? Oxygen, that is essential for basic cell function, paradoxically threatens our survival because it produces many highly reactive toxins. These toxins react in our body producing the malformed atoms called free radicals. A normal atom has electrons orbiting it in pairs, but free radicals have missing or impaired electrons and become highly 'excited' attacking other molecules and appropriating their electrons, which end up getting destroyed in the process. When this happens, the healthy molecule is turned into another free radical that in turn, goes on its own 'voyage of destruction. This degeneration is called oxidation and very soon damages the DNA, which is the blueprint for all new cells. The damaged DNA then replicates damaged cells again and again. And here lies the cause of the deterioration of our bodies - coming from a cellular level - which leads to illness and the ageing process. Not all free radicals are bad however. Our immune systems are made up of them. They protect us from viruses and other foreign invaders. They also help in the breakdown of our foods into nutrients. In this modern age, the problems we encounter with free radicals come from outside our bodies - from our environment. For example, chemicals in the air, our food, water and medicines. So really, free radicals are impossible to avoid, but they are fairly easy to combat with antioxidants - the more the better. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta Carotene, Zinc, and Manganese are well known antioxidants that not only enhance various enzyme activities in the body, but can also accelerate the elimination of toxins. (click on any product above for further details) Dr. Jaques Masquelier of the University of Bordeaux in France was awarded the U.S. patent for the use of Pycnogenal as a free radical scavenger, which has been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties like those of Vitamin C and E. The most powerful antioxidants have been shown to be anthocyanidins (also known as OPC's, Pycnogenols or Leucocyanidins). Similar in structure to bioflavinoids, they are believed by many researchers to be much more effective. This is probably due to the high solubility that enables them to be easily absorbed into the body. They are in fact, 15 times more powerful than Vitamin E, and are known to support the many areas of the body that contain collagen and also helps with anti-inflammatory processes. High concentrations of collagen are found in the capillary walls and many people take regular doses of anthocyanidins to help maintain the health of peripheral circulation. Collagen is also responsible for the suppleness and firmness of the skin nd it has been known that the health of the skin and complexion is strongly influenced by dietary factors.
Derek Ayre, Cardiff. UK. Please note: These pages are for information purposes only, and are not meant to be medical in any way. If you have a medical problem, you are strongly advised to contact your doctor. We do not recommend self diagnosis.
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