What Is Oxidative Stress And Why Is It Bad?

The term “oxidative stress” shows up a lot in news stories about health and the environment, but few people fully understand what the term actually means.

Oxidative stress is a slightly confusing term for many, as it involves an imbalance between two equally misunderstood substances within the human body: antioxidants, and free radicals.

Oxidative stress, when not managed properly, can be the cause of a number of complex problems, including slow healing, poor immunity, and even the rise of various chronic diseases. This is why people are advised to balance their free radicals by getting more antioxidants into their system.

Let’s take a closer look at oxidative stress, and why it’s a problem.

Defining Free Radicals and Antioxidants

As mentioned above, oxidative stress is what happens to your body when you have a lack of balance between the antioxidants and free radicals.

The free radicals in your body are one of the things causing the most damage. They’re a kind of molecule which has an uneven number of electrons, which means they can easily react more aggressively with other molecules in the body. Free radicals can cause chemical reactions which lead to cell damage and various other health issues.

Antioxidants on the other hand, are the major cure for free radicals. They can give an extra electron to a free radical to stabilize it, without themselves becoming unstable. If your free radical and antioxidant levels are balanced, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you have more free radicals than antioxidants in your system, this is where issues begin.

What’s the Problem with Oxidative Stress?

Oxidation isn’t all bad, though it can sound a little worrying. It’s actually a normal and necessary process that takes place in the human body all the time. However, oxidative stress is what happens when there are too many free radicals in your body, and oxidation becomes problematic.

Keep in mind, free radicals, when functioning properly, can help fight off dangerous pathogens which lead to infections. Problems only occur when there are more free radicals in your system than you can reasonably keep “in balance” with antioxidants.

When allowed to grow out of control, free radicals can begin to cause various forms of damage in the body, harming fatty tissue, DNA, and proteins alike.

The various side-effects of free radicals can lead to a host of chronic and dangerous diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even certain neurodegenerative diseases.

Oxidative stress can also make you age faster than normal, which is why people trying to stay young focus on getting lots of antioxidants in their diet.

While anyone can be exposed to free radicals, some people are more exposed than others, particularly those who are surrounded by cigarette smoke, radiation, and pollution.

How Do You Manage Oxidative Stress?

The good news for those concerned about the negative impacts of oxidative stress, is that there are things you can do to solve the problem. While it’s impossible to avoid free radical exposure completely, you can minimize the impact of oxidative stress on your body.

The best way to balance your free radicals is to increase the amount of antioxidants you consume. You can find these substances in a huge variety of food sources, particularly in fruits and vegetables.

Dark leafy greens are high in antioxidants, as are olives, cherries, berries, citrus fruits, carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes. You can also get more antioxidants in your diet by consuming certain ingredients, like turmeric, vitamin C, vitamin E, garlic, cinnamon, and even onion.

Outside of changing your diet, the best ways to manage oxidative stress are with:

● Regular exercise: Getting plenty of activity every day is one of the best things you can do to maintain good health. A good exercise routine is associated with higher antioxidant levels and less problems caused by oxidative stress. Plus, exercise improves your chances of a longer lifespan.

● Reducing bad habits: Cutting down on bad habits, like smoking, is a good way to reduce your exposure to free radicals. It’s also important to avoid sunbeds and wear sunscreen outside to protect yourself from UV light.

● Use chemicals with caution: Try to stay away from chemicals as much as possible. Reduce your exposure to cleaning chemicals, pesticides, and sources of pollution.

● Plenty of sleep: Sleep is almost as good for you as getting exercise and eating a healthy diet. The more you sleep, the more you’ll be able to maintain a good antioxidant and free radical balance, with better brain and hormone function to boot.

● Reduce binge eating: Studies indicate that constant eating or overeating can be more likely to place you in a state of oxidative stress.


Related Reading: How To Manage Stress

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