Preventing Oxidative Stress

Yes You Can!

I believe I have found the missing message with regard to free radicals and aging and damage to our bodies through oxidative stress.

Every action has a reaction – we know this. When our body experiences something either involuntary and internal or voluntary and applied – a reaction occurs. The residue is the release of chemicals or molecules that are referred to as free radicals.

Some events produce a lot more of these chemicals than others – things such as smoking, exposure to radiation or disease, and even extreme exercise – like 100 mile races.

I began learning about free radical damage when I took some graduate courses in Gerontology in 2000. I knew that the chemicals could be eaten up by little pac man like molecules called antioxidants and that oxidative stress was a result of the free radicals. Oxidative stress led to damage and aging.

Recently I learned that antioxidants can be endogenous and exogenous – what the body produces and what we introduce to the body with our diet. I also learned that cigarette smokers not only have more free radical damage than nonsmokers, but have LESS endogenous antioxidant activity.

Today I learned even more from an article in the ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal (14;3) lead author Scott Powers, PhD and M.Ed (brainiac).

According to the article, which I have no reason to doubt, the antioxidants don’t eat up free radicals but neutralize them. It is also true that oxidative stress is NOT a given, but occurs when the balance tips in the favor of the radicals. So our body can usually prevent any damage from occurring, especially if we are eating a diet that is high in foods with antioxidant properties, like our fruits and vegetables. Dr. Powers also pointed out that the body responds well to exercise in that it becomes even more adept at neutralizing radicals – becomes conditioned if you will.

The article ends with the conclusion that people who are able to eat a plant based diet will have ample supply of antioxidants as long as they are not in a disease state that is inhibiting the bodies own antioxidant production and action. There was some discussion on how the type of activity (intense vs. moderate vs. easy, the duration of activity, and the environment such as heat or altitude) can cause more or less damage.

In the end there is not sufficient evidence to suggest that supplemental antioxidants – pills and such, have any affect on the body and that they may indeed be counterproductive by preventing the body from using its own adaptive techniques.