Oxidative Stress: How to Combat It?
The condition called “oxidative stress” occurs as a result of an imbalance in the body between the production of free radicals and antioxidants.
The principle by which this happens is a simple one. Cells in our body produce free radicals during natural metabolic processes. However, cells also produce antioxidants that neutralize these free radicals. In a normal framework, the body is capable of maintaining a balance between antioxidants and free radicals.
However, once an imbalance occurs, there is a risk of oxidative stress manifesting, which can have negative effects on the skin, leading to premature aging.
What are the factors that contribute to oxidative stress?
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The occurrence of oxidative stress is favored by several factors that depend more or less on us:
- diet;
- lifestyle;
- external factors such as pollution;
- exposure to radiation;
- ultraviolet rays;
- obesity;
- smoking.
As a reaction to an inappropriate lifestyle, the body may have a natural immune response that can also trigger oxidative stress for a longer or shorter period of time.
Oxidative stress causes mild inflammation that may disappear after the immune system fights against it. That is why it is important to take care of our immune system to stay healthy.
What elements are affected by oxidative stress?
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If not kept under control, oxidative stress can visibly accelerate the aging process over time and contribute to the development of a considerable number of conditions.
As long as your body is fighting an imbalance in free radicals and antioxidants, there is a risk of automatically facing oxidative stress, which implicitly leads to compromising the state of cells and tissues. However, there can be some benefits to this imbalance. In some studies, surprisingly, oxidative stress has been shown to help combat certain conditions such as cancer.
What do you need to know about oxidative stress?
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Although some research has shown that oxidative stress can combat certain conditions, it is important to note that it has more harmful properties than beneficial ones. Over time, it can break down cellular tissue and cause various DNA lesions. From here, it is a sure path to inflammation. These factors can lead to the manifestation of many serious diseases throughout life, such as diabetes or cancer, in some cases.
Thus, the problem lies in having extremely low levels of antioxidants. It is possible to think that simply supplementing antioxidants will resolve this situation, but it is not enough. Therefore, oxidative stress is a condition resulting from a complex imbalance that affects many aspects of your overall health.
Oxidative Stress – How Can It Be Combatted?
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To effectively combat oxidative stress, you need to identify the factors that caused its occurrence and make changes accordingly. For example, if you have developed oxidative stress due to an unhealthy diet low in antioxidants, you can choose to introduce antioxidant-rich foods into your diet.
Antioxidants can be found in various foods and spices, such as: cocoa, tea and coffee, antioxidant-rich spices (cinnamon and turmeric), fruits (aronia, blueberries, strawberries, etc.) and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, etc.), nuts (such as pecans, almonds), beans, olive oil, and fish.
One of the superfoods rich in antioxidants is aronia. Found in fruit form as well as in jam, juice, powder, or capsule varieties, aronia has the ability to combat oxidative stress and prevent the occurrence of serious diseases.
If you wish to use a dietary supplement, it is necessary to consult your family doctor, as consuming too many antioxidants could be harmful. It is important to restore the balance within the body. Consuming concentrated doses of antioxidants could create another imbalance.
To ensure you get the antioxidants you need, focus on consuming a variety of nutrient-rich foods. Avoid or limit as much as possible the consumption of highly processed foods, rich in saturated fats or sugar.
How do we effectively prevent the onset of oxidative stress?
In addition to consuming antioxidant-rich foods, there are other ways to prevent oxidative stress:
- Quitting smoking: studies have shown that oxidative stress caused by smoking decreases within a few weeks of quitting. Furthermore, smoking can cause many other conditions.
- Regular physical exercise: Exercise has the ability to stimulate the body’s antioxidant production. At the same time, it helps reduce oxidative stress.
- Proper use of sunscreen: If you use a lotion with at least SPF 30 and avoid exposure to the afternoon sun, when it is strongest, you can protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation that causes free radicals.
- Establishing and adhering to a sleep schedule: When you don’t get enough sleep at night, your body’s antioxidant levels decrease. Therefore, it is very important to have a sleep schedule that we adhere to, to take care of our body.
- Moderate eating: Researchers have found that a balanced diet, without excesses, can help the body to be as healthy as possible. If you choose to consume large quantities of food, over time, you can develop this condition. The more moderately you eat and include antioxidant-rich foods (e.g., aronia juice), the more your body will enjoy a harmony between free radicals and antioxidants.
Oxidative stress is encountered in many people:
- who do not have a healthy lifestyle;
- who do not have regular meals;
- who do not have restful sleep;
- who are not active;
- who consume foods very low in antioxidants.
The way you manage your daily activities and the way you make time for yourself is very important.
Conclusions
Therefore, once this condition has settled in your body, choose to pay more attention to your lifestyle, diet, sleep, and physical activities. Of course, in case you wish to use dietary supplements to regulate antioxidant levels in your body, it is absolutely necessary to contact your family doctor. The recommended dose must not be exceeded. Otherwise, other difficult-to-control and manage conditions may arise.