If you think of stress, you may contact the family drama that you have held away from sleeping at night, or an overwhelming, heartbreaking panic via an anxious work project. However, there could be a different kind of stress in your body that you probably don’t know, and it has some long -term effects on health. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce it and keep your body healthy.
Oxidative stress, which is sometimes also called oxidative damage, is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body, which can have a negative impact on their cells and tissue. According to rheumatologist Richard Loeser, this can increase their risk of chronic diseases. These can include cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other inflammatory diseases.
Meet the experts: Richard Loeser, MD, a rheumatologist and director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Trevor Cates is a naturopathic doctor in Utah and the founder of the Spa Dr. Skincare line. Thara Vayali is a naturopathic doctor in Vancouver and co -founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Women’s wellness brand, Hey Freya,. Melinda Ring, MD, is director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University.
What are free radicals?
Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that arise from the normal functions of the body, such as the metabolicization of food, says the naturopathic doctor Thara Vayali. You can also come from environmental pollution, like too much time in the sun without skin protection, adds Trevor Cates with the naturopathic doctor. Free radicals damage your body if there are not enough antioxidants to keep them in chess, explains Vayali.
That may sound scary, but free radicals are not all bad – it is the number of them that determines the extent of the damage, says Loeser. A certain amount of free radicals is necessary to function normally, but “if they are increased at excessive levels, oxidative stress occurs,” he says. Then they are in danger of these chronic health problems.
The concept of oxidative stress has been an issue in the health industry for decades, but the current discussions in the news about preventing chronic diseases make oxidative stress more important than ever. The following what you should know about oxidative stress, including the recording and how to fight it, says experts.
Why oxidative stress can be harmful to the body
In short, free radicals are unstable molecules that are missing an electron. To complete the right amount of electrons, you can take it from other full molecules in your body. In doing so, they damage this complete molecules.
That is why free radical antioxidants need free radicals to neutralize free radicals by providing an electron, says Vayali. The body needs free radicals and antioxidants, but too many free radicals creates oxidative stress, says Dr. Loeser.
Oxidative stress occurs:
aging
The natural process of the older (unfortunately) creates free radicals. Oxidative damage can also accelerate the aging process. The damage accumulates and can cause an age -related illness in life earlier.
diet
The body needs healthy, antioxidant-rich foods such as colorful fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and spices, to maintain a healthy balance between free radicals and antioxidants, says Melinda Ring.
Read more: What are the 30 plants a week challenge?
Environmental pollution
Chemicals and pollution can be found in our air, water, (ultra -proof) food, alcohol, body care products and cleaning products, says Cates. After you have met them, your body repairs damage from the exposure – but it forms free radicals, which leads to oxidative stress, she says.
Excessive UV
Too much time that is exposed to UV rays without proper protection can cause damage to damage due to oxidative stress of skin. This is shown as sunburn, premature aging, hyperpigmentation and even skin cancer, says Cates.
How do you know if you have oxidative stress
Unfortunately there is no way to know whether you have oxidative stress because there are no specific symptoms, says Dr. Loeser. Some signs could include inflammation, pain, chronic pain and wrinkles, but these symptoms do not necessarily mean that they have oxidative damage. And if someone develops a chronic disease such as cancer, there is no final path to prove that it was caused exclusively by oxidative stress, adds Vayali. Nevertheless, there are ways to control oxidative stress in your body.
How to reduce oxidative stress
1. Eat an antioxidant-rich diet.
While your body produces antioxidants in a natural way, it is “the best way” to combat oxidative stress with our current understanding, says Dr. Loeser to consume additional antioxidants through their diet.
According to Cates, every natural colorful fruit, vegetables or legumes is a quality source for antioxidants. It recommends consuming at least three to seven portions of colorful vegetables and one or two portions of colorful fruits, legumes and grains every day.
CATES recommends adding these food to your diet because you are the most antioxidant:
- Blueberries
- Black beans
- Wild salmon
- Pomegranate seeds
- turmeric
- Walnuts
- Chia -seeds
- linseed
Read more: How to add more vegetables to your diet, even if you are busy
2. Get enough sleep.
A sufficient amount of calm between seven and nine hours a night can help repair the body, especially with oxidative stress, says Vayali. The brain’s glya -lymphatic system, a “sanitary system that cleans up this free radical”, only works when you sleep, she says. So make sure that you get these ZZZ’s in one – you don’t call it Schönhei sleep for free.
Read more: Sleep up with these 7 hacks faster to get a better sleep
3. Avoid environmental pollution as far as possible.
If you stay away from alcohol, ultra -impressed foods, environmental pollutants and excessive UV will reduce chronic inflammation caused by excess radicals, says Vayali. If possible, optimize your lifestyle to make healthier decisions – e.g. B. avoiding time in direct sun and exposure to chemicals in cleaning products -CATES can maintain a healthy balance between antioxidants and free radicals.
Remember that oxidative stress will occur in your body in mixing everyday life, and some are fine. Just find small opportunities to minimize oxidative stress and keep excess free radicals at bay to help your body do what he has to do for you.
This article by Kaitlyn Luckoff was originally published on the US health of women.
