A year ago I didn’t know that there was such a think as the Free Radical Theory of Aging but now, not only do I know that it exists, I understand it to be a leading contender to explain the aging process.
The Free Radical Theory of Aging was first put forward by Dr. Denham Harman and it summarizes as follows:
Free radicals are made in the body as part of the normal metabolic process and also created from sources outside of the body like cigarette smoking. The changes that these free radicals induce in our bodies are a root cause of aging, disease development and inevitably -death. When our defense mechanism against free radicals – namely antioxidants – are no longer produced or available in sufficient numbers to clear out the free radicals, the damage they create in the cells accumulates, creating mutations in the sequence of genetic material. As these mutations in turn accumulate, the systems of the body stop functioning properly leading to the development many of the degenerative diseases typically associated with aging.
In short – when we are missing out on the antiaging benefits of enough antioxidants in our systems, the free radicals are left to damage cell structure, cluttering up our system with damaged cells, toxins and making it more difficult for our bodies to adapt to environmental stresses.
Now, we’re all going to age, but I for one would like to spend as many of my years in the best shape I can be in and to do that, I will need to keep my body well supplied with the best antioxidants.
Maybe I’ll choose antioxidant supplements like CoEnzymeQ10 and maybe I’ll provide my body with the nutrients it needs to produce it’s own antioxidants – like Glutathione. But I’m convinced that I’m going to call on the anti aging power of antioxidants for a long time to come.