Free Radicals and Antioxidants

Free radicals are toxic compounds generated by stress, poor diet, toxins in the environment and the normal by-products of most biological processes ( of metabolic oxidation) in the human body. High level of free radicals is a major cause of premature aging and disease.

Free radicals carry a positive charge and are unstable. Free radicals lack an electron and travel around the body looking for electrons to "steal". Healthy cells are damaged, as molecules are forced to surrender their electron to a free radical.

This can damage the intracellular DNA and RNA, cell membranes, and numerous other important molecules in the cellular environment, leading to premature aging and a vulnerability to disease.

Antioxidants are compounds which have a weak attraction to one of their electrons. Antioxidants therefore easily surrender an electron to free radicals to stabilise and neutralise free radicals. After having surrendered an electron, the antioxidant itself may temporarily become a free radical and captures an electron from another antioxidant.

Active hydrogen (Active-H ™) is one of the unique antioxidants that does not become a free radical because of loosely-bound extra electron. Having surrendered this extra electron to a free radical the hydrogen ion in Active-H becomes its stable form (one electron and one proton).

Some sources of antioxidants: antioxidants are produced by the body, but food and dietary supplements deliver antioxidants too. Well known antioxidants are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta-carotene, Selenium which are found in vegetables, fruits and phytonutrient supplements. But having surrendered their electron these vitamins become free radicals and can not do any more theire job as a vitamin.