Antioxidant Substance
Familiar with rust? Of course, you
are. You’ve probably observed in passing just what happens to brass
when it is exposed to the elements. It’s not a pretty sight, or
maybe it is, if rust is your favorite color and if it is
indeed a color. But anyway, let us not talk about that. Instead, let
us talk about how rust is formed.
Rust is actually formed when oxygen
reacts with metal, or more specifically, when oxygen reacts with
iron. Iron is found in most metals and iron is also found in blood.
Yes, even human blood. So every time we breathe, we take in oxygen
and oxygen gets mixed in our blood which contains iron. A reaction
between these two elements is a matter of course. And such a
reaction, called oxidation, is the prime reason why we age, why we
develop diseases, or why things happen to our body every which way.
Of course, oxygen is an essential
element of life. However, that does not discount the fact that they
can have negative effects as well. No, humans do not get
rusty. Let’s make that clear right now. It is just that what is
essential for health might also be capable of disrupting cellular
function and impairing efforts towards health by generating
excessive amounts of oxygen byproducts known as free radicals.
Free radicals are highly reactive
molecules. Because of their electron configuration (they are missing
at least one electron), they tend to become unstable. To make up for
their shortage of electrons, they search for other substances from
which they can steal an electron. Free radicals are not necessarily
bad but when they accumulate in the body, they could cause
complications in the normal functioning of the cells.
Thankfully, our body comes with its
own army of free radical fighters. Antioxidant substances, that’s
what they’re called. Antioxidant substances may either be plant
phytochemicals derived from a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables or
from enzymes produced by our own body in reaction to certain
nutrients. Either way, antioxidant substances have only one function
and this function is apparent in their names: they neutralize oxygen
radicals, or oxidants.
Antioxidant substances are capable of
inhibiting the oxidation of target molecules. In other words, they
act as an anti-rust mechanism. In general, antioxidant substances
are divided into two categories. The first group of antioxidant
substances is comprised those that have activity in water (like
vitamin C). The second group on the other hand is composed of
antioxidant substances that have activity in fat (like vitamin E and
beta-carotene). Lipoic acid is an unusual antioxidant substance
because it has both water and fat-soluble activity.
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Antioxidants
