The Science of Free Radicals and Antioxidants
According to a report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the number
of publications on antioxidants and oxidative stress quadrupled in the past decade.
1 The interest is phenomenal and continues to be a subject
of hot debate in the scientific world. While quite a complex and technical subject,
antioxidants and free radicals hold the attention of a large segment of the general
public; particularly interested are the baby boomers, who are always seeking solutions
to the ever threatening processes of aging. As of now, squelching free radicals seems
to be the best solution to slowing this “age-old” problem.
A History of Free Radicals
Although Dr. Denham Harman introduced the idea of free radicals and their aging effects
in the mid 1950s, it wasn’t until 1968 that his theory caught the attention
of the American public. Durk Pearson, a graduate in physics from MIT, and his wife,
Sandy Shaw, with a biochemistry degree from the University of California, Los Angeles,
were invited as guests on the then-popular Merv Griffin Show. Both guests spoke of
Harman’s theory and told Americans they could take actions to slow the aging
process. After their second visit to the show, Durk and Sandy received over 100,000
letters asking them health questions. Their visit is recorded as the most popular
appearance ever recorded for a talk show. 2
Later, in 1982, the Pearsons again burst into the public spotlight with their best
seller, Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach, and then again in 1984 with
another bestseller, The Life Extension Companion. Both books were years ahead of their
time, suggesting such remedies as green tea to inhibit cancer, vitamin E and low doses
of aspirin to help fight heart attacks, the supplement choline to improve cognitive
abilities, and a myriad of other ideas that the medical community is now beginning
to practice, even though their initial response was one of intense skepticism.
As research on the theory of free radicals and aging continues, their reality becomes
more convincing to the world and to the scientific community. New terms like “oxidative
stress,” “ORAC,” and “free radical” become more common
in daily conversations about slowing the effects of aging. The most popular definition
for a free radical is an unstable oxygen molecule. But what exactly does that mean?
And how do these imbalanced molecules negatively impact our health?
This text excerpted from "The Science of Free Radicals and Antioxidants",
Young Living Magazine, Jan-Mar 2006. Reprinted with permission of Young Living Essential
Oils, LC, Lehi, UT 84043 U.S.A. No other reprinting without the express written permission
of Young Living Essential Oils, LC is allowed. Young Living is not responsible for
the content posted on this Web site.
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Science of Antioxidants
Antioxidants:
A History of Free Radicals
Antioxidants:
The Chemistry Perspective
Free Radicals & Inflamation:
Major Disease Components
Defenders to the Rescue:
Food Sources of Antioxidants
Antioxidant Quality:
ORAC and S-ORAC
CHART: Antioxidants
and ORAC Rating
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