Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress

Presenting all the connections that exist between aging, DNA damage, chronic pain, inflammation,  oxidative stress, the role of antioxidants and our metabolism and immune systems is a long and very complex process.  However, there is a definite link between the prevention of oxidative stress and the avoidance or at least delayed onset of many degenerative and often painful illnesses that we expect to be a part of normal aging.

Oxidative stress is  a killer- even if it doesn’t sound like one and its associated with many conditions and diseases like  Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, myocardial infarction (a heart attack that prevents blocks the blood supply to a part of the heart muscle causing it to die) other forms of heart failure  and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Oxidative stress is the resulting condition when there is either an uncontrolled increase in peroxides and oxy-radicals/free radicals (collectively referred to as reactive oxygen species)  or a significant shortfall in the body’s antioxidant defense systems, one of which is glutathione.

When your body can’t use its supply of antioxidants to protect itself- at a cellular level- from oxy-radical damage, you have oxidative stress.

Reactive oxidative species originate in different ways – both internally and externally.

Externally, free radicals are caused by; introduced toxins and pathogens, cigarette smoke, pollution, chemotherapy, UV damage, radiation, vigorous exercise and stress.

Internally, oxy-radicals are a standard by-product of your metabolism.   Even our own immune system used oxy-radicals to defend us against toxins and pathogens.  Normally, our natural reserves of antioxidants will scavenge these damaging by-products.   However, when aging and/or poor health and nutrition interfere with our usual ability to prevent oxidative stress the damage builds up and our defenses are eventually overwhelmed.

Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species are also responsible for damage DNA damage which can lead to mutation.  Unfortunately, just as our production of antioxidants like glutathione decreases as we age, so too does our natural ability to maintain our DNA in good repair. One obvious example of the damage caused oxidative stress is  aged appearance (at best) to the skin of people who have not been protected from the sun’s harmful rays.

According to the Free Radical Theory of Aging , the accumulation of damaged cells caused by the unchecked action of free radicals is a primary contributor to the process of aging and while we cannot stop that, no one will debate that good health practices can contribute to a increased quality of life through what are supposed to be the golden years.  Antioxidants like glutathione which you can support with supplements like MaxGXL® and MAXONE can also play a key role in the avoidance  of chronic inflammation by reducing oxidative damage.