Oxidative stressis the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in our body.
Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with an unequal number of electrons. The irregular number causes them to react easily with other molecules.
Free radicals can cause large chain chemical reactions in our body because they easily react with other molecules. These reactions are called oxidation. It can be helpful or harmful.
Antioxidantsare molecules that can convert an electron into free radicals without destabilizing themselves. This causes the free radical to stabilize and become less reactive.
What does oxidative stress mean?
Oxidative stressIt can occur when there is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body.
Body cells generate free radicals during normal metabolic processes. However, cells also produce antioxidants that neutralize these free radicals. Overall, the body can maintain a balance between antioxidants and free radicals.
Oxidative stressVarious factors contribute to the production of e and excess free radicals. These factors are as follows:
- Nutrition
- Life style
- specific conditions
Environmental factors such as pollution and radiation
The body's natural immune response also oxidative stressIt can trigger i temporarily. This type oxidative stressIt causes mild inflammation that disappears after the immune system fights an infection or repairs an injury.
Uncontrolled oxidative stress It can accelerate the aging process and contribute to the development of a number of conditions.
What are free radicals?
Free radicals, including reactive oxygen species, are molecules with one or more unpaired electrons. Examples of free radicals are:
- superoxide
- hydroxyl radical
- nitric oxide root
Cells contain small structures called mitochondria that try to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Mitochondria combine oxygen and glucose to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP. Free radicals occur as byproducts of this metabolic process.
External substances such as cigarette smoke, pesticides and ozone can also cause free radical formation in the body.
Free radicals are normal and necessary to some extent. In addition to causing some damage, they also encourage repair. It becomes a problem only when the amount of free radicals produced suppresses the repair processes. Oxidative stress this is what is called.
Oxidation occurs in a number of situations including:
When the immune system fights bacteria and causes inflammation
When our bodies detoxify pollutants, pesticides and cigarette smoke
In fact, there are millions of processes in our body that can occur at any one time and cause oxidation.
Oxidation increases when we are physically or emotionally stressed. As long as you have enough antioxidants, a careful balance is maintained and damage is prevented.
Oxidative stress In the case, the amount of free radicals exceeds the amount of antioxidants.That's when oxidation damages our cells, proteins and DNA (genes).
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances that neutralize or destroy free radicals by donating an electron.
The neutralizing effect of antioxidants, the body oxidative stressHelps protect skin. Examples of antioxidants include vitamins A, C, and E.
Like free radicals, antioxidants come from several different sources. Cells naturally glutathione produces antioxidants such as.
A person's diet is also an important source of antioxidants. Foods like fruits and vegetables provide many essential antioxidants in the form of vitamins and minerals that the body cannot create on its own.
Effects of Oxidative Stress on the Body
Oxidation is a normal and necessary process that takes place in our body. On the other hand, oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radical activity and antioxidant activity.
When functioning properly, free radicals can help fight pathogens. Pathogens cause infections.
When there are more free radicals present than can be kept in balance by antioxidants, they can damage the fatty tissue, DNA and proteins in our body.
Proteins, lipids, and DNA make up a large part of the body, so damage can lead to a multitude of diseases over time. Oxidative stressThe situations that can cause in are as follows:
Chronic inflammation
Oxidative stress May cause chronic inflammation.
Infections and injuries trigger the body's immune response. Immune cells called macrophages produce free radicals while fighting invading microbes. These free radicals can cause inflammation by damaging healthy cells.
Under normal circumstances, the inflammation disappears after the immune system eliminates the infection or repairs the damaged tissue.
Fakat oxidative stressat the same time more oxidative stressIt can also trigger the inflammatory response that generates more free radicals that can lead to a cycle.
Oxidative stresschronic inflammation due to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis It can lead to many situations, including.
Neurodegenerative diseases
Effects of oxidative stressAlzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease It can contribute to many neurodegenerative conditions.
Brain, oxidative stressIt is particularly vulnerable to brain cells because they require significant amounts of oxygen. According to a 2018 review study, the brain consumes 20 percent of the total amount of oxygen the body needs to fuel itself.
Brain cells use oxygen to perform intense metabolic activities that generate free radicals. These free radicals help support brain cell growth, neuroplasticity, and cognitive function.
Oxidative stress During the course of excess free radicals can damage structures inside brain cells and even cause cell death, increasing the risk of Parkinson's disease.
Oxidative stress it also alters essential proteins such as amyloid-beta peptides.
Oxidative stresscan modify these peptides to contribute to the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain. This is an important marker of Alzheimer's disease.
Oxidative stressmay also play a role in the development of a number of conditions, including:
Diabetes
- Atherosclerosis, or hardening of blood vessels
- Inflammatory conditions
- High blood pressure, also known as hypertension,
- Heart disease
- Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
- Cancer
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Asthma
Male infertility
Oxidative stress It also contributes to aging.
What are the Symptoms of Oxidative Stress?
Here are a few signs to watch out for:
- Tiredness
Memory loss or brain fog
Muscle or joint pain
Wrinkles and gray hair
Decreased vision
Headache and sensitivity to noise
Susceptibility to infections
Oxidative stress ayrıca chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgiahas been associated with numerous health conditions, including diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, insomnia, cancer, and more.
What Are the Risk Factors for Oxidative Stress?
Everyone produces some free radicals naturally in their body through processes such as exercise or inflammation.
This is normal and part of the body's complex system of keeping itself healthy.
You may also be exposed to free radicals from the environment. Some sources are as follows:
Ozone
- Some pesticides and cleaners
- To smoke
- Radiation
- Pollution
A diet high in sugar, fat, and alcohol can also contribute to free radical production.
Reducing and Preventing Oxidative Stress
It is impossible to completely prevent free radical exposure and oxidative stress. It is important to remember that the body needs both free radicals and antioxidants. Having too much or too little of these can lead to health problems.
However, in our body oxidative stressThere are things we can do to minimize the effects of.
The most important thing you can do is increase the level of antioxidants and reduce the formation of free radicals.
Oxidative stressOne way to prevent food is to get enough antioxidants from food.
Eating five servings a day of a variety of fruits and vegetables is the best way to provide the body with what it needs to produce antioxidants.
Examples of fruits and vegetables that we can eat rich in antioxidants are as follows:
- Strawberry
- Kiraz
- Citrus fruits
- Dried plum
- Dark leafy greens
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Tomato
- Olive
Other sources of antioxidants that can be obtained from food include:
Fish and nuts
- Vitamin E
- C vitamin
- Turmeric
- Green tea
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cinnamon
Other healthy lifestyle options too can prevent or reduce oxidative stress.
Regular and moderate exercise
This higher natural antioxidant levels and oxidative stresshas been associated with the reduction of damage caused by. Regular exercise A longer life span, less perception of the effects of aging have been associated with a reduced risk of cancer and disease.
Not smoking
Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke as well.
Handle chemicals with care
This does not contain cleaning chemicals, avoiding unnecessary radiation exposure and used in food or horticulture pesticides awareness of other sources of chemical exposure, such as.
Be sensitive to the environment
Environmentally friendly initiatives help reduce the production of free radicals for the individual and society.
Use sunscreen
Sunscreen prevents ultraviolet light damage to the skin.
Reduce your alcohol intake
Get enough sleep
Adequate sleep is essential to maintain balance in all body systems. Brain function, hormone production, antioxidant and free radical balance, and many other things are affected by sleep.
Avoid overeating
Studies, oxidative stressin body; It has shown that it affects more in the case of binge eating and persistent eating than eating at more frequent intervals and consuming small or moderate portions.
As a result;
While free radicals and antioxidants are part of the natural and healthy functioning of the body, when they are out of balance oxidative stress It occurs.
Oxidative stresscan damage many tissues, which can cause many diseases over time.
We cannot completely avoid exposure to free radicals, we can make dietary, exercise, and environmental lifestyle choices to help keep our bodies in balance and prevent damage and disease.
