Articles
Metabolism Boost
Build a Free Radical Bomb & Slam the Brakes on Premature Aging
BY PUREHEALTH RESEARCH | Sep 24, 2021
Living in our chemical-laden, stressful world is tough on your body. Your body is exposed to over 80,000 harmful environmental insults, such as pollutants, mold, chlorine, fluoride, tobacco smoke, and UV rays. You sleep on sheets and wear clothes washed and dried in chemicals. About 60% of your personal care and makeup chemicals applied to the skin and hair seep into your bloodstream and require detoxification. In addition, preservatives, pesticides, artificial coloring, plastics, aluminum, non-stick cookware, and more can harm your gut flora and liver. Stress, sleep loss, and lack of exercise also play a significant role in premature aging, increasing your risk for disease.
Why? The common denominator is free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable molecules formed when exposed to toxins, inflammation, and normal cellular reactions. These molecules are missing an electron and steal them from the nearest cell structure. They can steal it from your mitochondria, organelles, or cell membranes, harming the cell’s integrity. A swarm of free radicals can destroy tissues, organs, arteries, brain cells, and more.
This damage is called oxidative stress and can lead to diseases. For example, it encourages “bad” LDL cholesterol to stick to arterial walls, increasing your risk for heart disease and stroke. Free radicals can deteriorate the delicate structures in your eyes, leading to vision loss and blindness. They can attack your joints, contributing to arthritis. They damage nerve cells, promoting Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. And free radicals can damage DNA, triggering cancer. Furthermore, the damage of oxidative stress accelerates premature aging of skin, wrinkles, and sagging, and the aging of your organs.
This damage is called oxidative stress and can lead to diseases. For example, it encourages “bad” LDL cholesterol to stick to arterial walls, increasing your risk for heart disease and stroke. Free radicals can deteriorate the delicate structures in your eyes, leading to vision loss and blindness. They can attack your joints, contributing to arthritis. They damage nerve cells, promoting Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. And free radicals can damage DNA, triggering cancer. Furthermore, the damage of oxidative stress accelerates premature aging of skin, wrinkles, and sagging, and the aging of your organs.
The Free Radical Expressway to Rapid Aging & Disease
As you age, your liver gets exhausted because it’s been working at full throttle trying to protect you from the toxin tsunami. These toxins create a flood of free radicals. Also, your gut flora’s delicate balance is disrupted due to stress, sugar, and processed food additives. This imbalance can lead to constipation, gas, bloating, nutrient deficiencies, and disease that fuels free radical formation.
Additionally, about 70% of your immunity resides in your gut. As the immune system fights intruders, the oxygen it uses spins off an army of free radicals that destroy viruses and bacteria, but they also harm cellular tissues. Plus, imbalanced gut flora can also promote inflammation, causing aches, pains, swelling, rashes, blemishes, brain fog, moodiness, and more. This pathway spikes free radical formation, disease, and premature aging. Stress, lack of exercise, and sleep loss also skyrocket free radical formation.1 So, what can you do to help protect yourself?
Foods that Neutralize Free Radicals
The answer for combating free radicals is antioxidants, a phytochemical (plant chemical). Antioxidants scavenge for free radicals and provide them with an electron, neutralizing their damaging effects and protecting cells and organs. Your body produces potent natural antioxidants, including glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid.
Plant foods offer a wide selection of other antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, herbs, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and spices. Some vitamins and minerals have antioxidant properties, including carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and selenium, zinc, and copper.2 3 Antioxidants provide the color and flavor of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, eating a variety of colorful foods delivers a broader selection of antioxidants, each with individual benefits, as shown in the chart below.4 5 6
| Antioxidant | Food | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Allium sulfur compounds (sulforaphane, isothiocyanate7) | leeks, onions, garlic, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, mustard greens, turnips, and rutabagas8 | cardiovascular protection, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, lowers cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure9 |
| Anthocyanins | eggplant, grapes, and berries, | anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity, and protects the heart10 |
| Beta-carotene | pumpkin, mangoes, apricots, carrots, spinach, and parsley | protects, brain, lungs, skin, and eyes11 |
| Catechins | red wine, tea, green tea, apricots, black grapes, strawberries, cherries, pears, chocolate, pears, and raspberries | protects bowel, promotes glutathione production and metabolism, promotes healthy immune markers – anti-inflammatory, and promotes healthy gut flora12 |
| Copper | seafood, lean meat, milk, and nuts | makes red blood cells, protects nerve cells, supports immunity, forms collagen for healthy skin, cartilage, and bones, absorbs iron, and turns sugar into energy13 |
| Β-cryptoxanthin | red capsicum, pumpkin, and mangoes | supports healthy immunity, vision, bones, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer14 |
| Quercetin | Apples and onions | anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, controls blood sugar, protect heart and blood vessels15 |
| Flavonoids | tea, green tea, citrus fruits, red wine, onions, apples, cocoa, and thyme | anti-inflammatory, protects against heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cancer16 |
| Indoles | cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower | anti-cancer and stimulates detoxifying enzymes17 |
| Isoflavonoids (phytoestrogens) | soybeans, tofu, lentils, peas, milk, alfalfa, | male + female reproductive anti-cancer, aiding menopausal symptoms, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, hot flashes, reduces “bad” ldl cholesterol, increases bone density, improves brain function, reduces muscle soreness18 |
| Lignans (phytoestrogens) | sesame seeds, bran, whole grains, vegetables | lowers the risk of heart disease, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, and breast cancer19 |
| Lutein | green, leafy vegetables, kale, spinach, corn | anti-inflammatory, protects aging eyes and vision20 |
| Lycopene | tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon | anti-cancer, promotes healthy bones, lungs, blood pressure, and mouth21 |
| Carvacrol | oregano | Anti-fungal and anti-cancer22 |
| Manganese | seafood, lean meat, milk, and nuts | forms connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, sex hormones, aids calcium absorption, blood sugar regulation, and nerve cell functions23 |
| Selenium | seafood, lean meat, and whole grains | anti-cancer, protects heart, brain, thyroid, boosts immunity, and reduces asthma symptoms24 |
| Vitamin A | liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, and egg yolks | protects vision, immunity, reproduction, heart, lungs, kidneys, and skin25 |
| Vitamin C | oranges, blackcurrants, kiwifruit, mangoes, broccoli, spinach, capsicum, and strawberries | repairs all tissues, forms collagen, absorbs iron, aids immunity, heals wounds, maintains cartilage, bones, and teeth26 |
| Vitamin E | avocados, nuts, whole grains, green vegetables (broccoli, spinach), salmon, seafood, sunflower seeds27 | protects vision, reproduction, nerves, liver, and skin28 29 |
| Zinc | seafood, lean meat, milk, and nuts | immunity, metabolism, wound healing, taste, smell, aging eyes, and skin30 |
Steps to Building a Daily Free Radical Bomb:
- Exercise: Studies show that exercise extends a healthy lifespan and reverses aging.31
- Sleep: Sleep is when your brain cleans house, removing waste, toxins, and repairs damaged cells, reducing free radicals.32
- Reduce Toxic Load: Swapping household chemical agents and personal care products for natural plant-based ones goes a long way to help your liver and reduce free radicals.
- Limit/Eliminate processed food products, sugar, fried foods, ready-made foods: These alter you gut flora, compromise immunity, and promotes obesity and disease.
- Add MORE Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, & Spices, to each meal: Antioxidant dense foods!
And to round things out, choose the more nutritious pasture-raised poultry and eggs, wild-caught fish at least 2-3 times a week, and limit grass-fed lean meats to twice a week. Consider colorful food as your rejuvenating medicine. Explore exciting flavors, herbs, spices, and recipes bursting with flavor that reverses the hands of time!
REFERENCES:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7838006/
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-antioxidants
- https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/antioxidants
- https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/antioxidants#disease-fighting-antioxidants
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719112/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/catechin
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/sulforaphane
- https://www.rxlist.com/indole-3-carbinol/supplements.htm
- https://fruitguys.com/2019/05/the-wonderful-world-of-alliums/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613902/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/beta-carotene-benefits
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6155401/
- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/copper-your-health
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40495-019-00168-7
- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-294/quercetin
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-flavonoids#1
- https://www.rxlist.com/indole-3-carbinol/supplements.htm
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/isoflavones-benefits-side-effects-dosage-and-interactions-4687017
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6429205/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164534/
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-lycopene#1
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324203
- https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/manganese
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/selenium-benefits#7.-May-help-reduce-asthma-symptoms
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-Consumer/
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c#1
- https://www.healthline.com/health/vitamin-e-for-skin#nutrition
- https://www.healthline.com/health/vitamin-e-for-skin#vitamin-e
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-e/art-20364144
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-zinc/art-20366112
- https://www.myelomacrowd.org/researchers-find-that-aerobic-exercise-can-reverse-aging-effects-/
- https://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-brain-takes-out-trash-while-we-sleep-101713
- https://greatist.com/health/free-radicals#oxidative-stress
- https://www.webnat.com/webinars/FreeRadicals.asp
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-aging-2224347
- https://www.google.ca/search?q=image+of+antioxidants&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=AbzcyQGB7Scw0M%252CyWmiPeoG3z1fbM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kT_DZxA8tsm3TAKKMmqoOeh7E1sSA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiDqe6PqI7zAhWMMVkFHaGEAhkQ9QF6BAgEEAE&biw=1399&bih=767&dpr=2#imgrc=zN9p9oa15AnGlM