What is Oxidative Stress? What are the symptoms?
Index
What is Oxidative Stress?
What is Antioxidant Stress Relationship?
How Does Oxidative Stress Occur?
Can Exercise Treat Oxidative Stress?
How to Reduce Oxidative Stress?
What Diseases Can Oxidative Stress Cause?
You know that to keep your body health at an optimal level, you need to avoid stress. Well, did you know that protection from oxidative stress will protect your body against many problems such as chronic fatigue, insomnia, premature skin aging, cancer and diabetes? In this article, you can find the factors that reduce oxidative stress, oxidative stress symptoms and oxidative stress, which affect your metabolism in many ways.
What is Oxidative Stress?
Oxidative stress occurs as a result of an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. Oxygen-containing molecules with an unequal number of electrons are called free radicals. These unequal numbers of electrons in free radicals easily react with other molecules. This can cause large chain chemical reactions in your body. These reactions that can occur in your body are called oxidation. Oxidation is a normal and necessary process that occurs in your body. It can be beneficial and harmful to your body.
What is Antioxidant Stress Relationship?
Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. When balance is achieved, your body is protected against pathogens, which we call disease-causing substances. Antioxidants are of great importance for the continuation of your body functions and protection against oxidative damage. Antioxidants prevent the unstable structure of free radicals by donating electrons to free radicals. Thus, it prevents the stabilization of free radicals and oxidation that may occur in your body. But when there are more free radicals in your body than the antioxidants can keep in balance, the free radicals can begin to damage your body’s fat tissue, DNA, and proteins. Damage to occur as proteins, fats and DNA make up most of your body; It can lead to many diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cancer. In addition, oxidative stress causes premature signs of aging.
How Does Oxidative Stress Occur?
Metabolism produces free radicals or oxidants. Their elimination is necessary for the systematic functioning of biological processes. Unhealthy diet, smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverages cause an increase in oxidative stress. Free radicals can be produced within the body, that is, as a byproduct of an aerobic activity. An individual’s lifestyle and environment also lead to an increase in free radicals. During normal metabolism, each cell produces about 20 billion oxidants per day. As a self-defense mechanism, cells produce free radicals such as nitric oxide (NO), superoxides and H2O2 to fight pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, oxidants are produced by the degradation of fatty acids or as a defense against certain chemicals. In addition; Factors such as inhalation of free radicals in the environment, radiations (Ultraviolet light), automobile exhaust (mainly ozone and nitrous oxide) also increase free radicals in the body, thus contributing to oxidative stress. Exposure to air pollution or smoke produces oxygen radicals. Active or passive exposure to smoking, alcohol and unsaturated fat consumption also puts the natural antioxidant system in the body at risk and causes oxidative stress.
Can Exercise Treat Oxidative Stress?
Free radicals formed in your body through processes such as exercise or inflammation are part of the biological process and are a way for the body to keep itself healthy. However, free radicals that increase with ozone pollution, some pesticides and cleaners, cigarette smoke, unhealthy diet, alcohol and bad lifestyle begin to damage the body. It is impossible to completely avoid free radicals and oxidative stress. However, there are things you can do to lessen the effects of oxidative stress on your body. The most important of these is to increase the level of antioxidants and reduce the formation of free radicals.
How to Reduce Oxidative Stress?
Antioxidants are substances that help prevent oxidative stress. The human body produces various antioxidants. Vitamin C is one of the important antioxidants in the body. Being water soluble, it provides an aqueous phase for free radical scavenging. α-Tocopherol (Vitamin E) also prevents the formation of free radicals. Β-carotene, which we know to be abundant in carrots, also acts as an effective antioxidant. For the treatment of oxidative stress, your diet should contain enough antioxidants. Eating five servings of vegetables and fruits a day increases your body’s production of antioxidants. Strawberries, cherries, citrus fruits, prunes, dark leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots and tomatoes are among good sources of antioxidants. Fish and nuts, turmeric, green tea, onions, garlic and cinnamon also contain antioxidants. Regular exercise, not smoking and avoiding cigarette smoke, reducing the consumption of alcoholic beverages, using sunscreen, regular sleep and avoiding overeating also help reduce oxidative stress.
What Diseases Can Oxidative Stress Cause?
Oxidative stress adversely affects human health. Symptoms of oxidative stress include chronic fatigue, premature skin aging, circulatory disorders, and insomnia. However, oxidative stress can cause acute and chronic diseases. Some of these diseases are:
Cancer: The word meaning of cancer is new tissues that appear when cells in an organ or tissue divide and multiply unevenly. Oxidative stress can directly damage various molecules in your body. One of these molecules is DNA. Continuous oxidative stress causes DNA damage and uncontrolled cell growth may occur. The main types of cancer caused by oxidative stress are breast, colon and prostate cancer.
Cardiovascular diseases: Oxidative stress acts as a triggering component for cholesterol plaque formation in blood vessels. These plaques cause the formation of cardiovascular diseases over time.
Diabetes: Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the secretory gland called the pancreas in your body does not produce enough insulin hormone or the insulin hormone it produces cannot be used effectively. Oxidative stress can damage the pancreas, resulting in lower or inefficient insulin activity.
Inflammation: Oxidative stress can trigger the development of rheumatoid arthritis by causing inflammation of the joint and surrounding tissues.
Neurodegenerative disorders: Exposure to high levels of oxidative stress can cause damage to the Central Nervous System. This paves the way for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), memory loss, depression and multiple sclerosis.
Obesity: Oxidative stress; Excess weight increases the likelihood of dysregulation of fat function and metabolic syndrome.
Respiratory diseases: Oxidative stress can cause allergic reactions and thus respiratory tract inflammation.
Oxygen is the essential and most vital element for the human body. However, it can turn into a compound that will cause damage to the body by various mechanisms. The overproduction of free radicals and oxidants or the lack of antioxidants can cause an imbalance in your body. Free radical production and oxidative stress play an important role in inflammation, acting as a causative factor in many diseases. The human body can fight oxidative stress by maximizing the availability of natural antioxidants. However, dietary consumption of antioxidant-producing foods helps reduce oxidative stress. Reducing oxidative stress helps the functions of your metabolism work at an optimal level.