ADVICE FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE - Free Radical Damage

Life is energy. When no more energy is produced in your cells, you die. The process of extracting energy from the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe is the most essential process of life. Keeping that metabolic engine running smoothly and protecting it from harm are essential for health. 

Berries contain antioxidants

How do we do this?  By protecting your mitochondria. Mitochondria are the tiny factories in your cells that turn the food you eat and the oxygen you breathe into energy. The outcome of this combustion process is a chemical called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and it is the gasoline that runs your body. Make too little of this critical chemical and you slow down, begin to feel fatigued, and develop brain fog; your metabolism grinds to a halt and eventually chronic illness results. How does this happen? Your mitochondria are not only extremely powerful, they are also extremely sensitive. Environmental insults of all kinds, from diet to lack of exercise and more, can impact the function of your mitochondria. But probably the biggest insult of all is free radicals. Free radicals are actually produced by your mitochondria as a by-product of the combustion process that creates energy in your cells. These free radicals are particularly dangerous because they damage or oxidize cells throughout your body. This damage is called oxidative stress. Think of it as your body “rusting.” We have built-in help for dealing with these free radicals—antioxidant factories whose job it is to produce molecules that seek out and clean up free radicals before they do too much damage. Unfortunately, our modern life-style does little to support this natural process. We eat a diet that causes an escalation of free

radicals from too many empty calories and not enough dietary antioxidants and that is deficient in the raw chemicals that our bodies need to produce antioxidants in the first place. So the free radicals build up in our bodies, attacking our cells. Our mitochondria are particularly sensitive to this “rusting” process. Free radicals attack them and they cease to function optimally. This leads to more oxidative stress, a downward spiral into illness, and, eventually, death.

This information is bought to you as a free service from DNA Biopharm South Africa. The information herein is not intended to treat or diagnose any condition. Should you wish to try any herbal or natural remedy discussed in these pages, please consult with your healthcare practitioner. Should you require any information or advice on any topic related to diabetes, please visit our website at  www.dna-biopharm.com