Free Radicals in the Human Body

I have always believed that is something cosmetic and mineral water companies invented to scam their customers.

Same as you, I see a free radical as doing an immediate damage as soon as it is formed and then disappearing. If you have to eat peaches or drink ginkgo biloba to neutralize them, why those people who just eat meat with potatoes are still alive?

That intuition is more or less correct. There are numerous internal mechanisms for neutralizing free radicals and for repairing damage done by them. These quick repairs are done all the time; the real issue with oxidative stress is in special circumstances.

Instead of single molecules wandering in the interstellar space of your body, think about concentrations of free radicals which are intensely elevated for one reason or another in one part of your body. For example, in spinal cord injury as in the rat study here. (warning: don't read for light entertainment..) . When the internal mechanisms and nutrient status are not enough to neutralize and repair oxidative damage, then it can be irreparable. Or, what the hell, you get run down, and get the flu...

As for the antioxidant marketing (we all hate the marketing!) you don't have to chew quinoa or burdock roots.. there are a hell of a lot of antioxidant properties in foods, so if you want, pick your favourites and enjoy (chocolate, red wine, etc etc) with the added excuse "IT IS GOOD FOR ME" I bet you can name any food we can find rational excuses to indulge and feel good about it

As to the question about research in the human body, the process is the same in animals and you will find most research in animal rather than human bodies. A PubMed search for "free radical antioxidant" lists 101932 responses: "free radical antioxidant in vivo" lists 9748. "free radical antioxidant in vivo human" lists 3570 and there are several studies on the first page that describe methods of measuring oxidative stress levels in a clinical setting, if you want to do this research. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez

Hello one and all,

Some free radicals in the body are generated by leaky mitochondria, the power houses of cells. When a person goes on a low calorie diet, the mitochondria tighten up and do not let the free radicals escape. They are part of the biochemistry of converting sugar into ATP, the energy carrying molecule of the body.

Other free radicals are created by some of the white blood cells. These free radicals are used to kill bacteria. This type of free radical is often a two oxygen molecule that has an extra electron.

In both cases, the body tends to have other molecules in the area to quench the unpaired electrons of the free radical.

I doubt that an MRI would have the resolution to detect any single free radical, nor the quenching of the free electrons involved by any of the antioxidants in the body.

The resolution of MRI would need to be at molecular level if individual free radical bearing molecules were to be detectable.

With regard to the other questions about antioxidants and supplements, when in doubt, eat your vegetables. They have mitochondria too, and many have high levels of antioxidants during the sunny period, when they need the antioxidants to quench all the stray free radicals that excape the mitochondria during photosynthesis.

Remember, the leading cause of death is birth.

Dr. Ed