Free radicals - do we need to rid them of the body?

Since in the modern medical industry one of the important topics is the research of prolonging life and improving health, the question of studying the effect of free radicals on the human body is also raised. Unfortunately, all work in this area is subject to commercial influence, therefore people who do not have a chemical education receive inaccurate or incomplete information. Very few people know that not all free radicals are harmful to the human body. The majority buys and uses drugs that eliminate radicals, without thinking about whether it is necessary . Since in the modern world the laws of commerce are on the first place, the antioxidants advertised in various ways are quite expensive. But the primary free radicals in the human body not only do not need to be removed, but on the contrary, it is necessary to stimulate their production. They participate in metabolic processes and help fight various diseases. But secondary free radicals are harmful and cause various diseases.

Before taking antioxidants or various vitamin complexes, you need to understand how much they really need, and in what case they should be used. Primary free radicals are oxygen radicals and nitric oxide and lipids. The first of these arise as a result of the activity of phagocytes and macrophages in cells. Since free radicals are molecules that do not have a paired electron in an external orbit, they are chemically highly active. Thanks to the built-in genetic defense mechanism, cells get rid of such molecules by chemical reactions. After these reactions, hydrogen peroxide is formed. It is used by phagocytes and macrophages for its activity, it destroys the outer shell of bacteria and microbes. But hydrogen peroxide in the presence of iron turns into a secondary free hydroxyl radical. It is chemically active and capable of destroying virtually any molecule of the human body.

Free radicals of nitric oxide are released during the activity of macrophages, as well as blood vessel cells. Their number with normal metabolism is strictly normalized, the deviation causes hypertension or hypotension. In the presence of hydroxyl, they become chemically active and start destroying the cells. If free oxygen radicals are introduced into lipid cells, the most active process of destruction begins. The initiation of a chain reaction occurs. Hydroxyls interact with fatty acids, which are part of cell membranes, resulting in the formation of lipid radicals. They enter into further chemical reactions, after which lipid peroxidation occurs. The resulting free radicals destroy the membranes in the cell and protein compounds.

Such destruction is normal for the human body, due to which the cells are constantly updated. But free radicals destroy any molecules, including those containing DNA-codes. They also know how to recover, but with such "early" reactions, "chemical errors" arise. Because of this, new cells are formed incorrectly, and eventually cease to form.

As already mentioned above, to combat radicals, there are drugs containing antioxidants. These are substances that give an electron and do not harm the body. They seem to connect free radicals, not allowing the destruction above the norm. Strictly speaking, the human body is capable of producing antioxidants. But the appearance of free radicals is affected by many factors, and their appearance in the body exceeds the norm. However, not all antioxidants, especially artificially created, are of benefit. An excess of their number begins to bind and primary free radicals. If there is no indication for increased intake of antioxidants, then the emphasis should be on balanced nutrition, the menu of which is better discussed with a doctor by a nutritionist.