Free radicals are waste substances produced by cells as the body processes food and reacts to the environment. If the body cannot process and remove free radicals efficiently, oxidative stress can result. This can harm cells and body function. Free radicals are also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Factors that increase the production of free radicals in the body can be internal, such as inflammation, or external, for example, pollution, UV exposure, and cigarette smoke.
Oxidative stress has been linked to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, stroke, respiratory diseases, immune deficiency, emphysema, Parkinson’s disease, and other inflammatory or ischemic conditions.
Several lifestyle, stress, and environmental factor are known to promote the excessive free radical formation and oxidative stress, including:
- air pollution
- cigarette smoke
- alcohol intake
- toxins
- high blood sugar levels
- high intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids
- radiation, including excessive sunbathing
- bacterial, fungal, or viral infections
- excessive intake of iron, magnesium, copper or zinc
- too much or too little oxygen in your body
- intense and prolonged exercise, which causes tissue damage
- excessive intake of antioxidants, such as Vitamins C and E
- antioxidant deficiency
Some conditions caused by free radicals include:
- Deterioration of the eye lens, which contributes to vision loss.
- Inflammation of the joints (arthritis)
- Damage to nerve cells in the brain, which contributes to conditions (such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease)
- Acceleration of the ageing process
- Increased risk of coronary heart disease, since free radicals encourage low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to stick to artery walls.
- Certain cancers triggered by damaged cell DNA