Damage from Breathing

With every breath we take and every move we make, our mitochondria produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS were originally thought to be all bad free radicals, but recently, we’ve seen some benefit to having low levels in the body. These benefits can include a regulation of signaling, decrease in cancer cell growth, and boosting our immune system.

The problem comes when ROS accumulate in the body due to high stress, disease, and aging. These damaging ROS, free radicals, damage cells by stealing electrons and creating more free radicals from formerly healthy cells. This can lead to a variety of problems, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, brain damage, and dementia. In fact, it is theorized that free radical damage is a large part of the cause of the negative effects we see as we age.

Good news! Nature makes some pretty fantastic antidotes for free radicals, called antioxidants. Antioxidants are able to give a roaming free radical an extra electron, stabilizing and quieting it. Some antioxidants are produced naturally in the body during normal metabolism, such as glutathione, ubiquinol, and uric acid. We can also pick up antioxidants from foods, such as those high in vitamin E, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010). Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 4(8), 118. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.70902

Sharma, N. (2014). Free Radicals, Antioxidants and Disease. Biology And Medicine, 06(03). http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/0974-8369.1000214