Is This the Only Cause Behind All Diseases?
There are tiny little particles, smaller than our imagination can grasp that are running around your body with seemingly the only purpose of making you older and sick.
Many leading health experts believe these tiny particles are the ONLY reason people age and die of sickness. And that if we could tackle this one issue, we would theoretically live forever.
Some studies have, however, indicated that methods meant to limit those particles could possibly shorten lifespan and cause diseases.
No, this is not science fiction. This is reality called “free radicals.” Since I believe most of us have a tough time grasping such an abstract concept, I’ll try to explain “free radicals” and the truth about them in plain English.
This is a complicated issue and I really appreciate your view. So please read the rest of the article and make your comment at the end.
You see, in an ideal world we would all live in peace. There would be no conflicts, no crimes, no wars. Little children would be dancing around spreading flowers in the sparkling sunny air. Nobody would ever get sick or die and we would all live forever.
This, of course, is not reality in this world and neither is it inside your body. Without your conscious awareness, your system is in constant war with invading bacteria, viruses and other external threats. Not only that, there is also civil war where your immune system systematically murders perfectly functional body cells.
As in any other war, various weapons are used. One of the most powerful weapons of mass destruction your immune system uses are “free radicals.” Your white blood cells shoot those highly targeted free-radical-chemical-bombs that blow up bacteria and viruses that dare to enter our system.
Of course, as with all powerful weapons, the radical explosion doesn’t just harm the bad guys. Cells surrounding the bacteria are also highly damaged or killed. But isn’t that how it is, always the innocent that suffer. It’s a small price to pay for fighting off bacteria or viruses that would kill every cell in your body.
It also has means to eliminate the free radicals it creates if they’re not needed any more, or if they begin to get out of control.
Now this is the functional use of free-radicals. Your body creates a small amount of those weapons for this very specific purpose. If this was the end of the story, there would be a very limited problem.
However, your body isn’t the only free-radical factory. Many things in our surroundings create free radicals; especially chemical reactions from things like smoking or unnatural chemicals added into our processed food or sprayed on our non-organic vegetables.
These can create an overload of free-radicals in your body. And since they’re not managed by your white blood cells, they can attack any cell or organ, making you sick.
The free-radicals created by outside pollution are also often built up from different types of atoms than your body produces and therefore we’ve less tools to deal with these “non-organic” free radicals. These are the free-radicals you want to eliminate by all means.
Before we go any further, let me explain a little what exactly free-radicals are. I’m not going deep into this however, since their function is more important than their original.
I hope we’ll receive some good technical additions to my explanation from our readers in the comment section. Please don’t hesitate to show off your chemistry knowledge and point out flaws or gaps in my explanation. I’m not a chemistry major so no hard feelings.
Every atom and molecule has electrons spinning around on their outer shells. These electrons are usually paired, which binds them to the molecule or atom and makes them stable. If, for any reason, one of the electron pairs is split up, the molecule or atom all of a sudden has single, unpaired electron on the outer surface, making the atom or molecule unstable, turning it into what’s called free-radical….
…more often than not a highly reactive chemical bomb.
One of the most common free-radicals is made of one of the most common atom on earth: Oxygen. Usually Oxygen has two unpaired electrons that stabilize the atom. Through various reasons listed before, one electron can be removed that makes the oxygen atom into free-radical. Often referred to as “superoxide.”
This begins a process called “Oxidation.”
The real long term threat of oxidation in the human body is, however, that it can create a deadly chain-reaction; whereby one free-radical attacks normal atoms and changes them into a new free-radical. As the free-radicals multiply, their attacks become stronger and they can eventually destroy groups of cells, organs or even DNA structures, creating all kind of diseases.
This is, of course, closely related to the inflammatory reaction discussed in an article a few days ago. As the free-radical attacks cells or organisms, an inflammatory reaction is triggered to fight off the attack and begin the healing process. This triggers the body to create more free-radicals to fight the attack. Your body in essence is fighting itself.
To fight the chain reaction or oxidation, we use things called “antioxidants.”
Antioxidants are molecules that can stop the oxidation by removing or adding electrons to other atoms or molecules, therefore stabilizing the free-radicals (that now are not free-radicals any more).
There are several types of molecules that have the ability to do this in the human in a very healthy way and can be found in various vitamins- the most well-known and effective being vitamin C and E.
Supplements can help, but they’re no replacements for a healthy, whole food diet. A quick search for “antioxidants food” will results in thousands of pages listing various types of food. In essence, however, you’ll get most antioxidants from almost every type of berries, most vegetables and honey.
When you have enough of those antioxidant molecules in your system, your body can send them out to various parts of your body where it senses that too many free-radicals have gathered up- stopping the oxidation and inflammation process.
This is why it seems that every single natural health expert on earth seems to be focused on educating you on supplements, drugs and diets filled with antioxidants.
And definitely for a good reason…. I thank them all.
But taking supplements or eating food loaded with antioxidants is not enough. We also have to remove external things that create free-radicals. This includes not smoking, eating organic (non chemical treated food) and avoiding pollution of all kinds.
There is, however, one supplement I believe is a must have if you want to fight free radicals. It’s CoQ10. This amazing supplement not only has an antioxidant effects in and of itself. It also helps the body recycle other antioxidant molecules. This is also one supplement you should not skimp on price with. The more expensive, light color CoQ10 is much more effective than the regular orange color.
It took me years to realize the important role free-radicals, oxidation and inflammation played in my arthritis. I suffered tremendously for years due to my lack of knowledge.
I hope my writing helps you if you’re in a similar situation. If you suffer from arthritis or another inflammation-created disease, you may want to check out my journey to an arthritis free life here…
My associate Jodi Knapp has also done tremendous research on this issue when she helped her mother tackle type 2 diabetes. Learn more about that here…
Finally, please leave your comments bellow. Tell us your thoughts on this issue and most of all, share with us your favorite antioxidant foods.
Abubakar:
November 26th, 2011 at 6:26 am
I really appreciate your efforts at simplifying really complex matters for the non technical ordinary people. I have always heard the term anti oxidants but never really understood how they work until now. Thanks. Abubakar.
Mike:
November 26th, 2011 at 6:55 am
You are fantastic and a gift from Heaven…god bless
Arthur:
November 26th, 2011 at 6:58 am
The germ of all your text lies already in John von Neumann’s results about self-reproducing cellular automata. His chosen language is Mathematics, but his findings are universal, proven, fecund. If you would like to know more, please speak up. (Depending on your background, I will try to help you.) Expect me to reply within one business day. /Good luck! Arthur
A.G.:
November 26th, 2011 at 11:01 am
I am well aware of free radicals but still your article was informing.Thank you.
Joseph Ludvigson:
November 26th, 2011 at 11:24 am
Dr. Carey Reams indicated that the earth’s counter clockwise rotation (cationic – viewed from North Pole) is the cause of free radicals or excessive oxidation. At one time the earth rotated clockwise (anionic) and all living things were larger and the atmosphere shielded us more from DNA scrambling radiation. This is the cause of death in the present world, and will be rectified by Jesus Christ when He returns.
Virgie:
November 26th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
“The old order change’th yelding place to the new.” the saying goes on and on till you die. Your ideas were good to sustain life but not life everlasting. You are a naturalist but you will still die. Nobody can escape death. Steve job said that even those who are in heaven do not like to die. An iconic figure as he is he did not escape death. Well your effort to display your ideas is a helping tool to help ease sufferings so to speak.
Katherine Sadler:
November 26th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
This is a very interesting letter and I appreciate your effort of trying to clarify the scientific aspects of free radicals. I will save this letter and digest it slowly to try and understand the chemical aspects. However, I am aware of free radicals and how they have to remain bonded so they want throw off atom bombs. I try to eat as many anti-oxidant foods as I can. Lately, I’ve tried to keep my PH balance in tact by eating more alkaline foods than acidity. Write some more about COQ10, I am not sure how you can get this in a food form.
Katherine Sadler
cherrill:
November 26th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
I have always felt that ‘What we Eat, Drink, and Breathe determines how Healthy we are’.
I think a Lack of Oxygen is the cause of Alzheimers and could be fixed with extra Oxygen. I had 5 ‘Older’ friends who developed Alzheimers after having Surgery. My daughter had her Womb removed at a young age because of Endrometrosis, and suffered with ‘Memory Loss’ for quite a while. I think she got over it because she was Young. I think ‘Older People don’t have the time or ability to get over it as well as younger people. They need extra Oxygen.
I have resolved a Knee Problem by thinking it out, and trying out my thoughts. I would be happy to discuss these items further if you are interested.
Rita Rumler:
November 26th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
I have been reading, what I call, ‘God’s natural healing’, information, different foods, herbs, seeds that will assist us in our health journey. There is a waring party out there called the “Pharmacutical cartel” who are hell bent on keeping us all on the treadmill of ill health to fill up their deep pockets. They have deceived our governments by pressuring them to ensure that anything that will assist us to better health is taken off the market. The lastest in that battle is the simple ‘apricot kernel’. It costs us, the taxpayer, billions each year to support the (ill)health system & we who have discernment about our health are left to pay for our own maintenance through supplements. I am not saying that the Pharmacutical drugs do not have a place, however, please someone put up a substantial unprecedented arguement where, long term, these drugs are doing both us & the environment enormous benefit. I personally am on the ‘glyco nutrients’ which protect the body at a cellular level. Everything in MODERATION is good for us. The word ‘disease’ comes from two sylables dis – ease. This is something that is abnormal and pernicious.
I have been spreading a saying about ‘things that wont harm us’, my response is “neither will a dripping tap on cement over time”. This comment is mostly directed at pharmacutical drugs as I have seen over the years how a person starts off on one drug to repair a part of the body, due to the body getting a overload of that drug then requires another to repair another part of the body & there you go…. Support your body with rest, diet, stimulation, positive stress & prayer. Stay away from the pollutants like smoking, alcohol, gossip, anger for 1 month & see how you are at the end. Our body has an amazing ability to heal if we give it the best nutrients possible. We do this for our plants to get the best flowers/food. Where do we place ourselves in the importance of life????
Nora Hoenig:
November 26th, 2011 at 9:20 pm
Your article is good! But how can we get the COQ10 in food form? Please write about it. Thanks!
Pearletta Walters:
November 26th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
You always have such learning topics, and very truthful,our body is our own boms and we have to know how to defuse them, thank you very much for sharing.
buz lightyear:
November 27th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
hi i read with interest you regular emails . when are we going to get on with our lives’ eating regular and varied food which may i add contains all the ingredients in the pills you are trying to sell,giving credit a fantastic sales pitch . i do enjoy reading you emails ‘ hope im not banned regards buzz
Fred Buwembo:
November 28th, 2011 at 12:26 am
Thanks for your very enlightening article on free radicals. However I get rather jittery when you try to discredit the works of others in order to sell yours.
N. A. S.:
November 28th, 2011 at 9:10 am
I read with interest comments of Rita Rumler and agree with the last part of her comment “Support your body …….(till end). And highly appreciate her disection of disease into “dis and ease”. Bravo Rita!
Theresa:
December 3rd, 2011 at 4:26 pm
This was an excellent article. I appreciate the simplification of understanding free radicals in our system. As a cancer survivor/thriver a side affect of lymphedema propelled me into a passion for natural approaches to improve my health. Often, the quality of life that is compromised with health conditions is overlooked and not reported. Having had my quality of life taken away for a period of time, the only answers came from addressing the body/mind/spirit. I am still on the journey to defy medical science as I have done before and believe the answers will come.
Matt:
December 7th, 2011 at 11:05 am
You didn’t suggest waht strength of CoQ10 to use?
Pieta:
January 15th, 2012 at 3:07 am
Thanks Shelly,
Much appreciate & I really enjoy all this great information helping to understand how to get a handle on health.
Pieta