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Free radicals and antioxidants in diseases


Introduction
Free radicals, chemically are refer to as atom/molecules that have one or more unpaired electron, this unpaired electron makes them highly reactive. Actions of free radicals is harmful to the body system initiating a lot of chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus e.t.c.
How are free radicals generated?
Free radicals are of different types ranging from reactive oxygen species like superoxide radicals to nitrogen species.

  • Superoxide radicals are generated during exposure to certain chemicals or drugs, they are also generated during activation of White blood cell.
  • Hydrogen peroxide, though though not a free radicals is consider harmful to the body at a high level. It is generated during an ascobate reaction, and also during oxidation of long chain fatty acid.
  • Hydroxyl radicals are generated during exposure to high heat where water components of the cell are broken down into hydroxyl and hydrogen ion.

Damage by free radicals;
Free radicals generated above continued to attack cellular components breaking them resulting in different problem.
  • It can attack nucleic acid of DNA leading to cancer.
  • It can attack amino acid of protein destroying them leading to ageing many times.
  • It can also attack polyunsaturated fatty acid of membrane leading to degradation of lipid.
Solution to free radicals problems
Antioxidant has a potent power of reducing free radicals in the body preventing their deleterious actions. Vitamin C, E and sometimes A, folate, glutathione and other functional nutrients like phytochemicals are the common antioxidant found in the diet. Dietary source of this nutrients like, citrus, pawpaw, strawberries, bell pepper, broccoli are to be encourage to prevent damage caused by free radicals and for regeneration of each nutrients which itself can act like antioxidant after use.
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