A free radical is an atom or molecule which contains an unpaired electron. Since electrons have a very strong tendency to exist in a paired state, free radicals try to steal electrons from other atoms and molecules. The danger they pose comes when they react with important cellular components in our body.
Free radicals usually steal from the nearest stable molecule, taking its electron. When the attacked molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself (because now it is missing an electron), which starts a chain reaction. One free radical starts a cascade of new free radicals in our body, finally resulting in …show more content…
Sometimes the body's immune system creates free radicals in order to neutralize viruses and bacteria. While free radicals are not all bad, too many of them can lead to a number of problems.
An excess of free radicals can be caused by smoking, sunbathing, fried food, infections, excessive exercise, stress, smog and other environmental pollutants, harmful chemicals, toxins, radiation, etc.
Excess free radicals are a problem because their damage can cause premature aging, heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome and a host of other conditions. The type of disease that occurs is dependent upon which of the free radical defenses in the body were not functioning properly and where the free radical attacks occur.
To protect us against the harmful impact of free radicals, our bodies utilize antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before any damage is done. Antioxidants donate an electron to the free radical and convert it to a harmless