Dangers of Free Radicals on Health
In recent years, we’ve often heard the term “free radicals” in cosmetics and health product advertisements. But what are free radicals? We don’t know why a person’s appearance ages and their body becomes weaker as time passes. Thanks to the advancement of technology, the secrets of life are gradually being unveiled.
Free radicals are harmful substances produced during metabolic processes of the human body. They possess strong oxidative properties and accumulate in the skin cells, blood vessels, and organs. Free radicals can weaken the cells’ resistance, disrupt cell activity, hinder normal cell growth, alter DNA genetic tissue, weaken the body’s immune system, and lead to gene mutations that pose a life threat.
Scientific research has confirmed that 85% of aging, over 100 different diseases, and 90% of cancer situations are related to excessive free radicals in the human body.
Free radicals can damage brain cells, leading to memory loss or cognitive impairment, potentially triggering Alzheimer’s disease. They can also invade bone cells and weaken bone regeneration capacity, causing osteoporosis.
Effects of Free Radicals on Ageing and Diseases
Free radicals can harm eye cells, promote retinal degeneration, and induce visual impairment.
Collagen reacts with free radicals, causing nutrient loss in the skin and leading to skin laxity, wrinkles, dark spots and age spots, and systemic aging.
After free radicals attack the cell membranes, individuals may experience sub-health, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia with excessive dreams, and they may get cold easily, not to mention dull skin, as well as the “3 highs” of life (high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugars), and allergic reactions. Once free radicals damage the cell nucleus, it can lead to chronic or severe diseases such as atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular diseases, heart disease, stroke, liver damage, kidney disease, diabetes, bronchial asthma, emphysema, cataracts, and other conditions. When DNA genetic material is damaged by free radicals, defective DNA continues to replicate, forming a vicious cycle that generates a large number of mutated cells, leading to gene mutations and the tumour formation.
Our living environment and personal lifestyles can increase the concentration of free radicals in the human body. For example, negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, irregular daily routines, insufficient sleep, unhealthy eating habits like frequent consumption of processed foods, acidic foods, fried foods, and excessive intake of food additives, do contribute to the production of free radicals. The use of low-quality cosmetics, alcohol consumption, and smoking especially second-hand smoke exposure will result in significant harm. Exposure to ultraviolet rays, electromagnetic waves, and various types of radiation also contribute to free radicals. Pesticide contamination in vegetables and fruits, chemicals in drugs, air pollution, water pollution, and other factors are significant contributors to the damage caused by free radicals in our bodies.
The effects of free radicals on the human body is an oxidative process, and combating free radicals starts with antioxidation. In order to achieve optimal health, delay the aging process or extend our lifespan, it is crucial to pay attention to the dangers of free radicals. Hydrogen has a selective antioxidative effect, characterized by the removal of harmful free radicals in the body, such as hydroxyl radicals and lipid radicals. It’s different from general antioxidants that treat all free radicals indiscriminately, regardless of whether it is beneficial or harmful to the body. When hydrogen reacts with harmful free radicals, it forms water and will be expelled from the body. But worry not – a substantial supplement of hydrogen does not affect the normal physiological functions of the body, which means antioxidation is an important task for everyone to combat free radicals in our body!