All about disease fighting antioxidants

about oxidative stress

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between free radicals and your body's ability to neutralise or repair them.

Free radicals are a bi-product of your body’s natural processes like metabolism. But they can also come from external sources like tobacco smoke, pollution, excess (UV) radiation, a poor diet and lack of exercise.

When free radicals steal electrons from healthy molecules, they can damage proteins, fats and even your DNA. Over time, this damage accumulates and can lead to early ageing and diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.

How do antioxidants work?

Antioxidants can up-regulate the Nrf2 – nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, pathway through a complex signalling process. This pathway is a critical cellular defence mechanism that helps protect cells from oxidative stress and maintain balance by increasing the expression of antioxidant AND detoxification genes. Without antioxidants Keap1, a balancing element, can prevent this from happening.

In short, food high in antioxidants initiates protective processes and genes in your body – the incredible power of food, nature and YOUR body when it’s fed the right things!

This is why in my practice I use food and food-derived supplements to direct your own body to overcome chronic disease through its natural healing processes, the ones we evolved with.

In my next post I’ll be talking about foods and supplements high in antioxidants.