Free Radicals

Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons. This makes them highly unstable and reactive. They’re missing an important part (an electron), and desperately want to steal that part from other healthy molecules around them, even if it means harming them.

Antioxidants have extra electrons, so they can stabilize free radicals by donating one. This quells their rampage and returns equilibrium to the system.

When there are too many free radicals and not enough antioxidants to balance them out, oxidative stress occurs. This is when free radicals are running rampant and stealing electrons from stable molecules on a massive scale. Our bodies can’t operate properly when this happens, which is why oxidative stress is a major contributor to disease and aging.

This is why it’s good to limit our exposure to the things that produce free radicals as much as we can (pollution, UV radiation, chronic stress, smoking, alcohol, unhealthy diet, and so on), and regularly consume foods rich in antioxidants, such as leafy greens, berries, colorful vegetables, green tea, nuts, seeds, and spices & herbs.

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