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Oxidative Stress: Prevent It For a Long and Healthy Life

As humans, we need oxygen. We require oxygen to breathe as well as produce energy, and as our bodies use the oxygen, organisms known as free radicals are produced. These free radicals interact with the various cells in our bodies and thus cause oxidative stress, or essentially damage, to those cells. This in turn affects the cell’s membrane, proteins, and even genes. Oxidative stress has been linked to many diseases and even affects the aging process.

Anti-Oxidants

To combat oxidative stress, your body uses anti-oxidants to work against the free radicals that can potentially cause damage. The amount of anti-oxidants your body produces is affected by your genetic makeup. It is also influenced by some external factors, such as smoking, diet, and pollution.

Lifestyle Plays a Part

Lifestyle plays a big part in the amount of anti-oxidants we produce and how much oxidative stress we are under. For example, if our diets are not up to par, then we will not produce as many anti-oxidants, and our bodies will be under more oxidative stress. This will inevitably make us more susceptible to disease and other problems.

Smoking is another activity that makes us more susceptible to oxidative stress, so try to quit smoking or at least slow down. There are many drugs and products available today to help you stop smoking. It won’t be easy, but it’s worth it when you think of how many years you could add to your life.

Diet is Important

Unfortunately, the anti-oxidants our bodies produce are not sufficient to eradicate all the free radicals our bodies produce; however, there are more anti-oxidants available to us, like in the foods we eat for instance. To increase the amount of anti-oxidants in our bodies, and to decrease the amount of oxidative stress we are under, we should include more anti-oxidant rich foods in our diets. These foods include tomatoes, carrots, tea, and citrus fruits. It is also a good idea to take a multi-vitamin daily in order to combat oxidative stress.

By increasing the amount of anti-oxidants in our bodies to combat the free radicals, and thus eliminating oxidative stress, we can better protect ourselves from many diseases, such as cancer. Try to eat better, quit smoking, and just live a healthy lifestyle – by better protecting ourselves, we can hope to stay disease free and age gracefully to live a long, healthy life.