There are several ways through which we can increase the levels of antioxidants in the body. The greatest contributory factor to creating excess free radicals in the body is excess eating. Breaking down food into energy creates free radicals. The more you eat, the more free radicals you create.

A healthier, prolonged lifestyle is the result of eating less. This is known as calorie restriction and is the only proven technique of slowing down your body’s biological clock.

Calorie restriction provides sufficient amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but involves eating smaller meals that effectively regulate the intake of nutrients. The benefits of calorie restriction are vast and varied, and range from increased lifespan and immune system functionality to decreased fat accumulation and disease risk.

Whatever food the body intakes is used for (storage or energy), the body needs to use oxygen to undertake the biochemical reactions needed, and therefore it needs to create the dreaded free radicals.

Exercise is also a key factor in maintaining antioxidant levels. A healthy lifestyle can be maintained for longer with a leaner, more efficient body. For these reasons exercise becomes an indirect factor in the task of eliminating excess free radicals.

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If aging is related to oxidative damage from accumulated free radicals, and our body’s natural supply of antioxidants gets lower over time, can we reduce or eliminate the damage by increasing our body’s supply of anti-oxidants? That’s a million-dollar question, and the truth is that we really cannot be sure.

The way the body normally responds to oxidative damage is complex. We all have cellular defense systems that seek to quench free radicals before they can do any harm.

Anti-oxidants are molecules that can easily pair with free radicals and neutralize them. Vitamins A, C and E are all good examples of antioxidant molecules. They come from our normal diet.

Anti-aging medicine is a new field of medicine. Some traditional doctors feel that aging and its associated degenerative afflictions are natural and something that cannot be overcome. The very notion that it is possible to slow the biological markers of aging has been scoffed at from time to time.

Adding to the issue is the immense complexity of oxidation. For example, even though there is research that shows people who take Vitamin E may have fewer heart attacks than people who don’t, it’s not easy to definitely say that the reason is because of Vitamin E.

At the other end of the spectrum are those trying to sell anti-oxidant supplements as a magic bullet to prevent aging.

Lipoic acid is thought to be useful for warding off changes in the brain that occur as a result of aging. Tests in rats have pointed towards lipoic acid targeting oxidative stress in the central nervous system. Acetyl-L-carnitine is also thought to be effective when administered with lipoic acid, as it is believed to prevent oxidative decay. Lipoic acid, vitamins C and E and beta-carotene are all believed to play major roles in deterring Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s, a devastating brain decay illness that affects more than 15 million people worldwide, is felt by some to result from oxidative damage taking place in the neurons of the brain.

Putting all these together, it would seem reasonable to suppose that lipoic acid supplements might be useful for preventing Alzheimers. But do rat studies relate to humans? At this point it becomes more belief than science, but belief with some evidence.

The study of supplements is a science that has been spurred by major advances in the understanding of the biochemical and physiological processes of aging. A growing body of research is standing firmly behind the notion that as we get older, the benefits and importance of antioxidant supplements are immense.

Even without definite proof, however, you might ask what the harm is in taking supplements. The answer is probably not much. Furthermore, supplements are not very expensive, and isn’t it worth paying just a bit in case it turns out that all this anti-aging stuff really is true? That’s a decision you need to make for yourself.

Let’s look at an example. Pin was a mid-level manager in a financial services company in Bangkok. Even though she was only in her mid-30’s, she had trouble sleeping, felt fatigued during the day, and always wanted to sleep in the afternoon. She also had dry skin that needed lotion. She was prone to fevers and colds, and had frequent nosebleeds.

Blood tests showed that she had very low levels of antioxidants in her body. An anti-aging specialist doctor, nutritionist and exercise therapist worked with her to design a diet, exercise and antioxidant supplement program to bring her levels up. After six months, she had no more nosebleeds, her skin looks wonderful, and she has not had any colds. Her blood has plenty of antioxidants. Could the same work for you?

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If you leave a piece of iron outside, soon it will rust. If you cut up an apple and leave it on the kitchen table, it will start to get brown and decay. In both cases, atoms in the iron and the apple are reacting with oxygen in the air, causing a chemical reaction known as “oxidation.” Oxidation involves the transfer of electrons and leads to decay.

Imagine then, that the same process occurs in the human body, as cells react and degenerate. Cells in the human body undergo oxidation and decay just like the piece of iron left outside or the cut up apple on the kitchen table. The difference is that you can clean the rust up off a piece of iron, you can cut the brown parts from an apple. So is there some way of slowing or preventing the body from decaying with age? Can a 65 year-old with rust look, feel and be more like a shiny rust-free 20-year old? That’s the promise of antioxidants – but does it work?

This is where the theory becomes a little complicated. Our bodies are made of organs. Organs are made of cells, and cells are made of molecules that do all the things that your organs and your body need. At the molecular level, “eating” is the same as getting nutrients like carbohydrates and proteins into the cell. Going to the bathroom is the same as getting waste products out of the cell. In all these cases, molecules react with each other at the atomic level to carry out these activities.

When molecules react at the atomic level, electrons from one molecule usually pass to another molecule, often creating an “imbalance” in electrons that ultimately needs to be fixed. These “imbalances” are often seen as “free radicals” – atoms and molecules with mismatched electrons that try to “steal” electrons from somewhere to restore their balance. Oxidation is another name for “stealing electrons” – this is what is happening to that rusted iron or spoiling fruit.

Free radicals are essential for survival as they play a central role in producing energy from food, defending against infection and creating the hormones needed to maintain communications within the body. Too many free radicals can lead to problems. One leading theory of aging claims that much of the “natural decay” we see in aging is caused by years of free-radical accumulation in the body.

The free radical theory of aging states that organisms age because free radicals accumulate in parts of the body and cause oxidative damage to it as we get older. These free radical attacks result in a lessening of functionality in cells, organs and eventually the entire human body. Whilst we are young the body has ample means of combating excess free radicals using natural anti-oxidants, but as we get older the levels decline and thus more free radicals means more cell damage which means we age.

Antioxidants are needed to cleanse the body of free radicals, which is known as “quenching.” As we get older, the imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals creates oxidative stress on the body and cells suffer greatly. Oxidative stress has also been linked with cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Rogue free radicals can attack the body’s DNA, fatty acids and proteins causing oxidative damage.

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