| If we want to understand how we age and what | | | | to also become free radicals, this process |
| we can do to get rid of those annoying wrinkles | | | | continues on and on damaging thousands of cells. |
| then we need to understand the effect Free | | | | The worst free radical producers are, |
| Radical damage has on our skin and bodies. | | | | * Smoking - this one of the worst with each |
| In recent years Science has turned its attention | | | | cigarette releasing 10 quadrillion free radicals into |
| to the study of aging. Antioxidants ( the good | | | | our lungs which is why smokers age faster than |
| guys ) and Free Radicals ( the bad guys ) are | | | | non smokers |
| considered very important to our understanding | | | | * Ultraviolet rays |
| of how cancer, aging and illness originates that a | | | | * Pollution |
| lot of research is being conducted into their | | | | * X - Rays |
| effects. | | | | * Stress |
| What the research has come up with in study | | | | * They are also created by our own bodies |
| after study is that much of what was previously | | | | through normal necessary chemical processes |
| understood to be the inevitable signs of aging - | | | | So what happens over time is these free radicals |
| externally in the form of wrinkled skin and, and | | | | damage our cells ability to function resulting in a |
| internally in the form of failing organs and brittle | | | | new generation of cells that are less productive. |
| bones - can be put down to the cumulative | | | | In the case of our skin cells this means that the |
| effects of free radical damage to the cells of our | | | | cells responsible for collagen and elastin production |
| body over the course of our lives. | | | | (known as Fibroblasts) will be working less |
| So what are free radicals and how do we get | | | | efficiently to produce the proteins necessary for |
| them? Well to understand what and how first we | | | | our skins smoothness, firmness and elasticity |
| have look at what is going on within the cells of | | | | This gradual decrease in collagen and elastin |
| our bodies. | | | | production becomes visible sometime between |
| Now for the science lesson! | | | | our late twenties and early thirties when we |
| They are highly reactive and unstable molecules | | | | discover our first wrinkle. |
| that cause damage to healthy cells leading us to | | | | Fortunately our cells contain repair enzymes that |
| age from the inside out. All the molecules in our | | | | fix most of this damage, however over time the |
| body have paired electrons. Free radicals on the | | | | delicate balance between damage and repair |
| other hand are unstable because they have one | | | | becomes unbalanced and these cells with |
| or more unpaired electrons. | | | | damaged DNA multiply creating cells with |
| To stabilise themselves they steal electrons from | | | | imperfect structure and making them less able to |
| stable molecules causing those molecules in turn | | | | function properly. |