Free Radicals are DANGEROUS

Why you need to protect yourself from the threat of, and learn how to neutralize, free radicals . . .

Here's an example of the oxidative stress caused by oxygen on an unprotected surface: Take an apple and cut it in half and leave one half there on table and put some lemon juice (antioxidant) on the cut area of the other half. Notice that after 20 minutes, if not less, the inner part of the apple you did not treat is a dark brownish color, while the half you treated with lemon juice is a lot less brown, if not still white/yellow.

The reason for that is that the lemon is a sealant on the open surface of the apple, and acts as a shield to protect the apple against the threat of oxidation. The brown color comes from unstable molecules in the air that are chemically unbalanced (they are missing an electron). In order to find that extra electron to stabilize itself, it will try to steal it from other elements, and in the case of the apple, the apple's flesh was the target.

Every time an electron tries to steal another electron to stabilize itself, it damages cells. Imagine an infinitely large pinball machine with an infinite number of balls. Every time a ball (unstable particle) strikes an object made up of cells it does damage until the object is gone. That is accomplished by stealing an electron from an atom belonging to the object. Now that atom that was attacked and lost an electron becomes unstable itself. It is now a free radical and the cycle begins all over again.

Antioxidants to the Rescue!

This will continue unless or until the unstable electron encounters only cells protected by an antioxidant. The antioxidant acts as a shield to the cell, protecting it, and it also gives away that "extra electron" to stabilize it, thus doing two jobs for the price of one!

But eventually our bodies run out of these much appreciated antioxidants; that is why good dietary supplements are such a key element in maintaining health. The only caveat is that your body's antioxidants need to be in the right form, in the right proportion, to be efficient.