Free radicals are atoms, molecules or ions with unpaired electrons in their outer shell and for many years scientists have linked these free radicals to diseases in humans. When an atom or molecule doesn’t have a full outer shell of electrons they try to fill that shell as soon as possible, so free radicals react with the first molecule they come in contact with and rob it of an electron, creating another free radical and it keeps going like this just like dominoes. Antioxidants stop this from happening by donating an electron or removing the free radical. The human body has powerful antioxidants that continually find and remove free radicals.
Free radicals are a part of everyday life, exercising creates them, breathing creates them, so does the metabolic (digestion) process and the immune system produces some free radicals to use in its fight against bacteria and viruses. Some very harmful free radicals are also created by cigarette smoke, pollution and other lifestyle factors.
A lot can be done to control the health damaging aspects of life, most of the trials on antioxidant supplements have failed to show any benefit at all, and some trials have shown an elevated risk of cancer by taking supplements, but only benefits have been found by eating a good diet containing the same antioxidants. The American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) and the Okinawa study, which lasted for 25 years, have offered great insight into how diseases of aging are caused. Evidence from these studies suggest we should try to be as lean as possible without becoming underweight, we should aim for a BMI as close to the bottom end of the scale as possible, as close to 22 as we can get and not going below 18.5.
Eating fewer calories will produce fewer free radicals. The Okinawans have a saying hara hachi bu which means when translated, only eating until you are 80% full, not many westerners stop at this point, they prefer to eat until they are over full, which producers large quantities of free radical or oxidants as they are sometimes called.
Food like fruit and vegetables help the bodies natural antioxidants mop up free radicals so it makes sense to ensure 80% of your food is from this source.
Cheers
