Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Side Effects of the Digestion Process

By Dr. Lorna Mistranski

The best way to fully comprehend what free radicals are is to look at them from a cellular level in that the human body is made up of all kinds of cells.

Cells are comprised of various types of molecules and these molecules consist of one or more atoms of one or more elements held together by a chemical bond.

The composition of an atom is: nucleus, proton, and electrons where the sum of the protons determines the total amount of electrons that will be around the atom.

The primary role of electrons is for chemical reactions that occur inside the atom and the substance that holds the atoms together to form molecules. Electrons revolve around the atom in one or more shells

When the innermost shell has two electrons, it is considered full. When the second shell is full with electrons the process starts all over again.

The most important thing in determining the structural characteristic of an atom is the number of electrons in the outermost shell.

An atom ideally seeks to have a full outer shell because it's what is called maximum stability. An atom will seek this state in the following ways:
  • Adding or dropping electrons that will either fill or empty the atom's shell
  • Bonding together with other atoms and sharing electrons to complete the outer most shell

Atoms very frequently finish this outer shell by sharing electrons with other atoms. This allows the conditions to be satisfied for what is needed to the atom to sustain maximum stability of the molecule.

Often, the bonds that the atoms form remain intact so that maximum stability is maintained. However, when these bonds do tear, the highly unstable free radical is born and swiftly seeks to make itself more stable.

The ideal way free radicals attack is by locating the nearest molecule they can find that has achieved maximum stability and start stealing electrons. Once a molecule is attacked, it too becomes a free radical. This process creates a chain reaction that continues until it causes cells to become damaged.

Common times when free radicals occur are during metabolism as well as when the body is fighting off bacteria or viruses. Pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, and pesticides are other times when free radicals can occur.

Typically, the body is able to handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. Most importantly is that free radical damage accumulates with age.


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