What is oxidative stress?
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and antioxidants , responsible for maintaining homeostasis (internal balance) of the body.
According to INSERM:
“Oxidative stress is a phenomenon linked to the fact that our body constantly produces substances that are toxic to our cells: free radicals. Normally, a detoxification system helps get rid of it. But sometimes this system is not enough. Free radicals will then accumulate and cause damage: this is oxidative stress.”
It is an “imbalance between the body's production of harmful oxidizing agents (free radicals, in particular) and that of antioxidant agents (such as vitamins E and C). It leads to inflammation and the occurrence of DNA mutations.”
What role do free radicals play?
A free radical is a molecule containing oxygen and having one or more electrons in an odd number, which makes it very reactive to other molecules. A risk arises: the irregular number of free radicals will allow them to interact chemically with cellular components such as DNA, proteins or lipids to capture their electrons and stabilize themselves. These, in turn, will find themselves destabilized and will seek to capture an electron from another molecule, which will trigger a cascade of radical reactions.
Free radicals are molecules composed of nitrogen and oxygen, which have instability at the molecule level because they do not have all their electrons in their outer shell. They will therefore be looking for another free electron to stabilize themselves.
How it works?
Free radicals are present in the cells of our body in reasonable doses: their concentration is regulated by the balance between their rate of production and their rate of elimination by detoxification systems called antioxidants (enzymes, vitamins, minerals). Exposure to toxic agents can compromise the delicate balance between antioxidants and free radical production.
What are the risk factors?
We naturally produce free radicals through exercise or through inflammation. It is a natural process of our body to keep us healthy.
On the other hand, we can also be exposed to free radicals in our daily environment: certain pesticides, cigarette smoke, radioactive particles, atmospheric pollution, psychological stress, lack of sleep, sedentary lifestyle, UV rays from the sun but also a diet too rich in sugar, fat and alcohol.
Are you interested in this article?
Take the opportunity to answer our questions and discover our treatment adapted to your needs.
MAKE MY DIAGNOSIS
Oxidative stress, what effects on the body?
Oxidation is a normal and necessary process that takes place in our body. On the other hand, an imbalance between antioxidant activity and that of free radicals leads to oxidative stress. When free radicals are functioning properly, they have an important job: fighting pathogens. When there are more free radicals present than antioxidants, the latter no longer have the means to maintain the body's balance and begin to damage adipose tissue (fat mass), DNA or even the proteins in our body. This can lead to many physiopathological conditions in the body such as neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's, Alzheimer's), mutations, cancers, heart disorders, the onset of diabetes, inflammatory diseases, etc.
An antioxidant… that is to say?
Antioxidants are molecules found in cells that slow or prevent oxidation. Our body's ability to produce antioxidants is controlled by our genetic makeup and influenced by our exposure to environmental factors such as diet, smoking or pollution. Our body's internal production of antioxidants is not enough to neutralize all free radicals, we must therefore help the latter to defend itself by increasing our antioxidant intake.
Managing and preventing oxidative stress
It is impossible to avoid exposure to free radicals and oxidative stress. However, it is possible to minimize their effects on our body. The first thing to do is to increase our level of antioxidants and reduce the formation of free radicals (by limiting exposure to the risk factors mentioned above as much as possible).
For this, a diet rich in antioxidants must be ensured through consumption:
- Fruits and vegetables (red fruits and cruciferous fruits)
- Of chocolate
- Of coffee
- Some tea
- Spices
However, most of the time, our lifestyle does not allow us to ensure a high level of antioxidants allowing our body to prevent oxidative stress. This is why we created β-Cell which incorporates 10 natural ingredients rich in antioxidants such as L -ergothioneine, glutathione and SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD).
Are you interested in this article?
Take the opportunity to answer our questions and discover our treatment adapted to your needs.
MAKE MY DIAGNOSIS
Bibliography:
- Debasis BAGCHI et al., “Free radical scavenging, antioxidant and cancer chemoprevention by grape seed proanthocyanidin”, in Mutation Research , n°768, p.69-73, 04/2014
- Carmen SANCHEZ, “Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant properties from mushrooms”, in Synthetic and Systems Biotechnology 2 , 2017, p.13-22