Knowing The Free Radicals And Antioxidants Part 1

Free Radicals

The free radicals are unstable molecules and very reactive. To achieve the stability modify  molecules of  its around causing the emergence of new radicals and that creates a chain reaction that will cause harm to many cells and may be indefinite if the antioxidants do not intervene.

Free radicals cause damage to different levels in the cell:

• Attack  lipids and proteins of the cell membrane so the cell cannot perform its vital functions: transport of nutrients, waste disposal, cell division.

The superoxide radical, O2 that is normally found in the metabolism causes a chain reaction of lipoperoxidation of fatty acids in the phospholipids of the cell membrane.

• Attack  DNA  by preventing cellular replication and contributing to cellular aging.

The normal processes of the body produce free radicals as the metabolism of food, breathing and exercise. We are also exposed to elements of the environment that create free radicals, such as industrial pollution, tobacco, radiation, drugs, chemical additives in processed foods and pesticides.

Not all the free radicals are dangerous because,for example, the cells of the immune system creates free radicals to kill bacteria and viruses but if there is no adequate control by the antioxidants healthy cells can be damaged.


Benefits of antioxidants
An antioxidant is a substance that has low concentrations with respect to oxidizable substrate(biomolecule) that slows or prevents oxidation.

The antioxidants found naturally in the body and certain foods can block part of this damage due to stabilize the free radicals. Are substances that have the ability to inhibit the oxidation caused by free radicals, acting some at level  intracellular and others in the cell membrane, always together to protect the different organs and systems.

There are different types of oxidants:
• Endogenous antioxidants: enzymatic mechanisms of the body (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione and coenzyme Q- ).  Some enzymes need metal cofactors such as selenium, copper, magnesium and over half in order to perform the mechanism of cellular protection.

• Exogenous antioxidants: are introduced by the diet and are deposited in the cell membranes by preventing the lipoperoxidation(vitamins E and C and carotene).
In coffee there are a few excellent antioxidant that are the flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds.


Classification of the antioxidants

* Exogenous
* Endogenous 
* Cofactors
* Vitamin E
* Copper Glutathione
* Vitamin C
* Coenzyme Q
* Carotene
* Thioctic acid Zinc
* Manganese
* Flavonoids

Enzymes:
* Superoxid dismutasa(SOD),
* Catalase
* Glutathione peroxidase
* Iron
* Lycopene

Natural antioxidants
A natural nutrient has antioxidant properties when it is able to neutralize the oxidative action of the unstable molecule of a free radical without losing their own electrochemical stability. The body is fighting against free radicals every moment of the day but the problem occurs when it have to tolerate continuously an excess of free radicals. The excess is produced mainly by external contaminants that enter in our body.

We will continue the second part in the next article ( part 2)