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Our body is build up of approximately 75 trillion cells and there are many different types of cells for every part of our body.They continually replicate themselves. When we age,get sick or get diseases, our cells do. Each cell has a set of genetic instructions in its center, called the DNA, that controls cell growth, development and replication. When the DNA get damaged by free radicals, it can replicate a damaged cell. When this cell replicates itself,it can become cancer. In order to slow down the aging process, prevent sickness and diseases, we must protect and properly feed our cells. Cells are made up of many atoms. When these atoms are healthy, the cells replicate (make an exact copy) and keep the body young, healthy and free from diseases. A healthy atom has “paired”(an even number of) electrons around the nucleus. Atoms that are missing an electron are called Free Radicals.They are not only “bad”, but actually destroy surrounding atoms by stealing their electrons. They alter or destroy cells. Dying cells and cells that replicate in a damaged state are the cause or contribute to premature aging, sicknesses and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis,Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease and many others. Where do free radicals come from? To explain this I have to introduce the concept of “oxidative stress”. Oxygen is essential for life itself, but it is also inherently dangerous to our existence. This is called the “dark-side” of oxygen. As a result, we are essentially rusting both inside and out.The same process that causes a cut apple to turn brown or iron to rust is the cause of all the chronic degenerative diseases and even the aging process itself. Within every cell of our body is a furnace called the mitochondria. As oxygen is utilized within the furnace of the cell to create energy and life itself, occasionally a charged oxygen molecule is created, called a “free radical.”If this free radical is not readily neutralized by an antioxidant, it can go on to create more volatile free radicals, damage the cell wall, vessel wall,proteins, fats, and even the DNA nucleus of our cells. Chemically, this reaction has been shown to be so volatile that it actually causes bursts of light within our bodies! To give you the best illustration of the process of oxidation and how free radicals can damage our cells in our body,you have to imagine yourself in front of a crackling fireplace. The fire burns safely and beautifully most of the time, but occasionally a hot cinder pops out that lands on your carpet and burns a little hole in it. One cinter by itself doesn’t pose much of a threat; but if this sparking and popping continues month after month, year after year, you will have a pretty “ratty” carpet in front of your fireplace. The fireplace represent the furnace of the cell (the mitochondria), the cinder is the charged “free radical,”and the carpet is your body. Whichever part of your body receives the most free radical damage will be the first to wear out and potentially cause one of these degenerative diseases.If it’s your arteries, you could develop a heart attack or stroke. If it is your brain, you could develop Alzheimer’s dementia or Parkinson’s disease. If it’s your joints, you could develop arthritis. The cause of free radicals. Free radicals are caused by smoking, stress, sunlight,pesticides and insecticides put on our plants,grass, weeds and pollution in air and water, soil depletion, airline traval (Jetlag), medications, food additives, x-rays,exercise, chloride in treated water,chemicals in our home, mercury in seafood and teeth fillings and many more. One cigarette generates approximately one quadrillian free radicals. The Solution. Fortunatelly,through biochemical research we’re learning that we are not defenseless against this attack on your body by free radicals.There are antioxidants. They have additional electrons around the neuclus that they can give to free radicals, which neutralizes their harmful effects. Antioxidants are like the glass doors or fine-wire mesh we place in front of our fireplace. The sparks are still going to fly but our carpet will then be protected. As you begin to imagine the war that is taking place within every cell in your body, you can invision the two opposing forces: the enemy–free radicals; and your allies– antioxiants and there supporting nutrients. Antioxidants protect our body against destructive free radicals and therefore they are our defense against aging, sickness and disease. By controlling free radicals, antioxidants can make the difference between life and death, as well as influence how fast and how well we age. The cause of Heart Disease. There are different forms of heart disease but heart disease primarily comes from the buildup of fatty deposits on the inner surface of arteries. Eventuelly, these deposits block blood flow, leading to a heart attack or stroke. Free radicals cause and/or contribute to heart disease. Scientists now believe that it’s not just the eating of fat that causes the buildup on the inner surface of our arteries, but fats that has been damaged by free radicals. This is called oxidised fat,which causes the fat to be more “sticky” and therefore adhering to the inner artery walls more easily. This explains why smoking and stress are risk factors to heart disease, and so is high fat consumption. Antioxidants reduce the risk of cancer. The most important role antioxidants play in the body is to protect the DNA from damage caused by free radicals,by correct use of the right antioxidants. It can even reverse many forms of cancer.The importance of maintaining proper antioxidant levels can not be over emphasized. Living a healthy life becomes a matter of balance.You must have enough antioxidants available to readily neutralize the number of free radicals your body produces. If you don’t, “oxidative stress“will occur. When this oxidative stress is allowed to persist over a prolonged period of time, you will most likely develop a serious chronic degenerative disease. Are we getting enough antioxidants from our diet? The number of free radicals our body produce each and every day is never the same. Al the pollutants in our air, food and water,enormous stress, excessive exercise, cigarette smoke, sunlight, dramatically increase the number of free radicals we produce in our body. There has never been a generation more effected by oxidative stress then our present one.We are literally under attack from our polluted environment, stressful lifestyles and over-medicateded society. This ongoing attack is depriving us of our most precious gift – our health. But thank God, we are not defenceless against this attack by free radicals. We have our own army of antioxidants to neutrolize free radicals and make them harmless. In past generations, this defence system was sufficient. Unfortunately,this is no longer the case. Our bodies’ defence systems need additional support. Our food have become depleted in antioxidant content and supporting minerals as a result of mineral depletion in our soils, green harvesting,cold storage,foods that are highly processed, genetically modified food, our poor food choices and food preparation. Most antioxidants come from vegetables and fruits, in the form of vitamin C & E, and beta-carotene.But other natural compounds are present as flavonoids in veggies like: indoles,phenols, coumarins, isothiocyanates, and pycnogenols (procyanadins). Much of their action is antioxidant too. We must take charge of our health in a time of heavy attack from the environment on our natural defence system and do all we can to rebuild our antioxidant defence systems with a healthy diet, supplemented with complete and well balanced, high quality supplements, which is our best hope in winning the war within and protecting our health. You can find out how to protect your health by visiting: http://www.brillianthealth.net/pinockio
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cells, DNA, free radicals, oxidative stress, antioxidants, cancer, heart disease,
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