While managing everyday stress is important for your health, it's equally crucial to protect yourself from oxidative stress. Shielding your body from oxidative stress can help prevent issues like chronic fatigue, insomnia, premature skin aging, cancer, and diabetes. In this article, you'll learn what oxidative stress is, how to recognize its symptoms, and practical ways to reduce it.
What is Oxidative Stress?
Oxidative stress happens when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants within your cells. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with an uneven number of electrons, making them highly reactive with other molecules in the body. These reactions”known as oxidation”are a normal and necessary part of your body's processes. However, when oxidation becomes excessive, it can cause cellular damage.
Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress occurs when the balance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body is disrupted. When this balance is maintained, your body is better protected against harmful substances. Antioxidants play a vital role in safeguarding your health by neutralizing free radicals”providing them with electrons and stabilizing their reactive structures. When antioxidants are insufficient to counteract an excess of free radicals, the resulting damage can affect your body's fat tissue, DNA, and proteins. This damage is linked to the development of conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and premature aging.
Causes of Oxidative Stress
Your metabolism naturally produces free radicals, or oxidants, as part of essential biological processes. Removing these free radicals is important for healthy body function. However, certain factors”such as unhealthy eating habits, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption”can increase oxidative stress. Free radicals are also generated as by-products of aerobic activity. Additionally, your lifestyle choices and environmental exposures play a significant role in raising free radical levels.
Each cell in your body naturally produces around 20 billion oxidants”or free radicals”per day during normal metabolism. These molecules help defend the body against harmful microorganisms, such as through the production of nitric oxide (NO), superoxides, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Oxidants are also involved in breaking down fatty acids and certain chemicals. However, additional exposure to environmental sources”such as inhaling free radicals from pollution, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and car exhaust”can further increase free radical levels. Active or passive smoking, alcohol use, and consuming unsaturated fats may overwhelm the body's natural antioxidant system, raising oxidative stress and the risk of cellular damage.
How to Reduce Oxidative Stress?
The human body naturally produces a variety of antioxidants to help neutralize free radicals. Vitamin C, a vital water-soluble antioxidant, helps scavenge free radicals in the body's fluids. Vitamin E works to prevent the formation of new free radicals, while β-carotene”abundant in carrots”also offers strong antioxidant protection. To combat oxidative stress, it's important to include enough antioxidants in your diet. Aim to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day to support your body's natural antioxidant defenses.
Which Diseases Can Oxidative Stress Cause?
Oxidative stress negatively affects human health. Symptoms of oxidative stress include chronic fatigue, skin problems, circulation disorders, and insomnia. Additionally, oxidative stress can lead to the development of acute and chronic diseases. Some of these diseases include:
- Cancer: Oxidative stress can directly damage various molecules in your body, including DNA. Continuous oxidative stress leads to DNA damage and uncontrolled cell growth. The main types of cancer caused by oxidative stress are breast, colon, and prostate cancer.
- Respiratory diseases: Oxidative stress can damage lung tissue and exacerbate respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung infections.
- Neurodegenerative diseases: Conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are associated with oxidative stress. Oxidative damage to brain cells and the accumulation of harmful protein aggregates contribute to the progression of these diseases.
- Cardiovascular diseases: Oxidative stress acts as a triggering component for the formation of cholesterol plaques in blood vessels, which eventually leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke. Oxidative stress promotes inflammation and damages the inner lining of blood vessels, making them more susceptible to plaque formation.
- Diabetes: Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the development and complications of diabetes. It impairs insulin signaling, promotes inflammation, and contributes to the deterioration of pancreatic beta cells responsible for insulin production.
- Aging: Oxidative stress is considered one of the key factors contributing to the aging process. The accumulation of oxidative damage over time leads to cellular dysfunction and tissue deterioration, resulting in age-related diseases and diminished physiological functions.
* Liv Hospital Editorial Board has contributed to the publication of this content .
* Contents of this page is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The content of this page does not include information on medicinal health care at Liv Hospital .
For more information about our academic and training initiatives, visit Liv Hospital Academy
Frequently Asked Questions
Is exercise helpful for treating oxidative stress?
Yes, production of free radicals through exercise is a way to maintain your health. In this manner; regular exercise, avoiding smoking and exposure to cigarette smoke, reducing alcohol consumption, using sun protection, getting enough sleep, and avoiding overeating also help reduce oxidative stress.
How oxidative stress is measured?
Oxidative stress level can be measured and treated with the H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) test from the blood. The H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) test can determine how much oxidative stress affects the body. Oxidative stress levels can be controlled by changes in eating habits.
Which foods are good for your oxidative stress?
Strawberries, cherries, citrus fruits, dried plums, dark leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes are good sources of antioxidants. Fish, nuts, turmeric, green tea, onions, garlic, and cinnamon also contain antioxidants.