Since one of the important topics in the modern medical industry is research into life extension and he alth improvement, the issue 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, so people who do not have a chemical education receive inaccurate or incomplete information. Very few know that not all free radicals are harmful to the human body. Most people buy and use drugs that get rid of radicals without thinking about whether it is necessary. Since the laws of commerce are in the first place in the modern world, antioxidants, advertised in various ways, are quite expensive. But primary free radicals in the human body not only do not need to be removed, but, on the contrary, their production should be stimulated. They are involved in metabolic processes and help fightvarious 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 are really needed, and in which case they should be used. Primary free radicals are oxygen radicals and nitric oxide and lipids. The first of them 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 the outer orbit, they are chemically highly active. Thanks to the built-in genetic defense mechanism, cells get rid of such molecules through chemical reactions. After these reactions, hydrogen peroxide is formed. It is used by phagocytes and macrophages for their activities, it destroys the outer shell of bacteria and microbes. But hydrogen peroxide in the presence of iron is converted into a secondary free hydroxyl radical. It is chemically active and is able to destroy almost any molecule in the human body.
Free radicals of nitric oxide are released during the activity of macrophages, as well as blood vessel cells. Their number in normal metabolism is strictly normalized, the deviation causes hypertension or hypotension. In the presence of hydroxyl, they become reactive and begin to destroy cells. If free oxygen radicals are introduced into lipid cells, then the mostactive destruction process. A chain reaction is initiated. Hydroxyls interact with fatty acids that 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 cell membranes and protein compounds.
Such destruction is normal for the human body, due to them 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" occur. Because of this, new cells are formed incorrectly, and eventually stop forming.
As mentioned above, there are preparations containing antioxidants to fight radicals. These are substances that donate an electron and do not harm the body. They, as it were, bind free radicals, preventing destruction above the norm. In fact, the human body is capable of producing antioxidants on its own. But many factors influence the occurrence of free radicals, and their appearance in the body exceeds the norm. However, not all antioxidants, especially artificially created ones, are beneficial. An excess of them begins to bind and primary free radicals. If there are no indications for increased intake of antioxidants, then the emphasis should be on a balanced diet, the menu of which is best discussed with a nutritionist.
