Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants
Oxidative Stress is one of the major culprits affecting our lifespan. It is simply oxygenation of the cells. The fact is that from day one rusting and rotting take place in our bodies that to a large extent, determine our life expectancy.
Imagine two halves of an apple. We pour fresh lemon juice over one half and the second is left as it is. After 30 min one piece is brown and wrinkled. It is oxygen-rich, oxidized. And it is aging. We call this oxidative stress.
The second apple is still looking fresh and newly cut. The lemon contains vitamin C, which acts as an anti-oxidant; preventing the apple from oxidation.
Can you imagine what happens in the body, if we have too few anti-oxidants?
We have creaky joints, greying hair and wrinkly skin – premature aging!
Oxidative stress happens every day naturally in the body as part of daily life. However problems arise when we create more oxidative stress than we are able to repair.
The level of antioxidants is critical with age no matter how healthy our lifestyle is. At the same time we are exposed extensively to the accumulated effects of oxidative stress in the form of additives, toxins, pollution from industry, agriculture, chemicals and antibiotics in animal breeding, excessive sunbathing, physical and mental stress, worry, poor nutrition and tobacco smoke etc.
These factors deplete our reserves of antioxidants and cells become damaged. This creates low-level, constant inflammation in the tissues. And it is dangerous.
It does not give any major symptoms, staying well under the radar and before we know it, it has has eaten away at us – often for several years and may show up as poor immune function, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, diabetes, dementia, cancer or heart disease
- or faster aging.
How is your oxidative stress level?
By measuring the oxidative stress level, for example in a blood sample, we can find out where the “stresses” in our bodies are and how vulnerable we are to illness.
It’s what we eat, drink, think and feel that affect our health more than anything.
Thus, we can increase the levels of antioxidants by eating and drinking antioxidant rich food. This applies to all greens and dark berries and plenty of ionized water.
Omega 3 oils act as antioxidants, just as the vitamins C, D, and E and Q10, zinc and selenium. The master antioxidant Glutathione is worth highlighting because it is the most powerful antioxidant when it comes to neutralizing oxidative stress. We produce the Glutathione in our body and the production is decreasing around 35 years of age. Then we have to add it to our nutritional plan to keep oxidative stress and hidden inflammation in check. Here I must mention the success of the Phototherapy Patches that promote the body’s own antioxidant production, along with Colostrum extract that boosts the immune system.- please see our website for further information.
Yoga, meditation, fresh air, recreation, sport, dance, deep breaths, a relaxed atmosphere, detox diets and a good night’s sleep helps the antioxidants and thus our health. We make the choices; we are in control of our bodies.
At the clinic we are happy to help by offering tests for Oxidative Stress and our main objective is to find ways to optimize health and add life to years and years to life.
About the author
Dr. Pernille Knudtzon, MD, Specialist in Family Medicine, Acupuncture, New Health Technology and NLP Trainer runs Vitafakta Health Clinic in Southern Spain. Her main medical training was done in Denmark. But curiosity led her to travel and study Holistic Medicine and Lifestyle aspects in many places around the world over the last 30 years. From her consultation in southern Spain she is now providing Personal Health Consultations based on a holistic health and functional medicine approach. She focuses on Health, Wellbeing and Vitality and guides her clients to live a healthy life and to thrive and shine the most. She is presently studying Functional Medicine at the Institute of Functional Medicine https://www.ifm.org/.