Free Radicals and Antioxidants

When reading about health, it is easy to come across discussions of free radicals and antioxidants, but do you truly know what these things are and why they’re important to your health? In this article we’ll explore what free radicals and antioxidants are, how they interact, and their impact on your health.

Written by Christine Conrad, Green Health Research Writer

What are Free Radicals and Antioxidants?

Free radicals were first identified in 1900 at the University of Michigan by a scientist named Moses Gomberg. The term ‘free radical’ for the particle he discovered came to be used because in the past any part of a molecule (a group of two or more atoms joined together) that was bound to another was called a ‘radical’. A free radical is therefore a molecule or atom that has at least one electron that is not paired with another electron. Free radicals are naturally occurring, and their production can be controlled by antioxidants.

Antioxidants are molecules which can slow or stop the process of oxidation. Oxidation occurs when one molecule join with another and donates some its electrons to this second molecule. The process of oxidation can cause free radicals to form, and so antioxidants work by slowing or stopping the formation of free radicals.

How Do Free Radicals Cause Damage and What Damage Do They Cause?

Free radicals are highly unstable due to their unpaired electrons. In an effort to become more stable, free radicals will attempt to bond with other molecules so that their electrons become paired. Free radicals cause damage because their unpaired electrons can interact with important cellular components and even DNA in the molecules with which they attempt to bind.

Free radicals basically start chain reactions when they attempt to bind with other molecules, and then these molecules interact with others and so on until a whole string of bad reactions takes place. Once a free radical binds with one molecule that molecule then becomes damaged and it then causes damage in other molecules that it comes into contact with.

Free radicals can contribute to the appearance of wrinkles and speed up our bodies’ aging processes. This can lead to heart disease and strokes, and have been shown to contribute to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Since they interact with DNA, free radicals can also cause cells to mutate and thereby increase our chances of developing many different kinds of cancer. For example, free radicals in cigarette smoke can trigger emphysema, and repeated exposure to free radicals can cause other types of cancer.