Learn Why Fruits, Vegetables and Water are More Then Just A Little Important
You hear about them on TV. You read about them in magazines and papers. Everywhere you go, you will see Free Radicals mentioned somewhere during the day. There is a war going on and the terrorist are in your body. Are you starting to become concerned about your wrinkles or have age spots become a new concern? These seemingly benign problems are signs of how well your war is going with Free Radicals. Free Radicals are the primary cause of aging and they must be neutralized. What are these little critters and why are they so dangerous?
What are Free Radicals?
Hold on and pay attention, and we can get through this painlessly.
Scientific Definition
The Scientific Definition of a Free Radical is an unstable molecule that has dropped an electron.
When this occurs, the molecule becomes highly reactive and becomes a “Reactive Oxygen Species” (ROS) or a “Reactive Nitrogen Species” (RNS). All atoms contain two or more electrons circling around the nucleus, which consist of protons and neutrons. All atoms we currently know of have an inner and outer shell. The inner shell will always have two electrons and the electrons contained in the outer shell will vary but will always vary by twos. The exception to this is Hydrogen, which is a stable atom with a single shell that contains a single electron and a nucleus containing a single proton. This makes Hydrogen our most potent Antioxidant. We will learn more about why later.
Now remember the comparison between cells, molecules and atoms, all things are made up of atoms including the air you breathe. There is no such thing as nothing, it is just a matter of what we are able to detect
Molecules are formed in the body by two or more atoms and bound by electron pairs. When the molecule is split for any number of reasons, it sometimes drops an electron. It might not split but simply lose an electron during metabolic or environmental stresses. This is where the problem begins.
- Oxygen Molecule
What causes Free Radicals?
Overeating is the largest cause of Free Radicals.
- Mitochondria is a organism within the cell that provides the cell with energy, which operating in unison supply the body with 90 to 95% of its power
- Mitochondria has it’s own genome(DNA) and exist outside of the nucleus of the cell
- The DNA of Mitochondria is passed from the mother only
- The DNA of Mitochondria is longer then Nuclear DNA (you know the DNA with the 23 pair of chromosomes in the center of the cell) and used by the cell also in signaling, cellular differentiation, cell death, as well as the control of the cell cycle and cell growth
- Mitochondria is linked to the aging process, but we don’t know how outside of CellularRespiration
- The number of Mitochondria in each cell varies from one to several thousand depending on what the cell does
- Mitochondria is extremely susceptible to Free Radicals and because there can be several in a cell, the DNA in them can mutate individually. When the mutated balance of Mitochondria is too large, disease follows. This is why Fat Soluble Antioxidants are important because they are able to penetrate the cell membrane and neutralize these critters as they occur
Mitochondria produce energy through what has been termed the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The energy generation process is called Cellular Respiration. The mitochondrion produce bio chemical energy in the body called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This is accomplished by Hydrogen moving electrons along the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The electrons then meet up with oxygen at the end of this train. How much energy is produced is dependent on the supply of oxygen. ATP is also known as the “Universal Currency of Life”. If it has life as we define it. It creates ATP to live. For those seeking further information, I have linked an old Scientific American report on Mitochondria. The Information on Vitamin C & E is somewhat dated, but it will show the reader how confused the medical establishment really is. Instead of truly understanding the wisdom of those before us on the particle level and how our vegetables, fruits and herbs work within the body, they are missing the whole point and trying to reinvent the wheel . The idea is to live a life where you don’t get sick and the medical establishment isn’t interested in it if you can’t patent it and sell it.
AAIN has found the wheel and has given it to you in 4 principles. Now we will continue to give you the spokes that keep it spinning nice and true.
Herein lies the ultimate paradox. Oxygen is the source of all life and the major cause of aging. Oxygenation and Oxidation
excellent article—clear and easy to understand—thanks