Effects of Oxygen and Antioxidants on Aging
Writing by bts on Thursday, 22 of May , 2008 at 4:39 pm
Everyone wants to stay young for as long as they possibly can. It’s just no longer in our nature as humans to age. We resist and we struggle with it until our aching bodies no longer let us put it off. The trends in anti-aging and health markets however have a tendancy to actually counter their own claims.
Today I am talking about Oxygen.
It is an essential fuel, without it we would die. But with too much of it we will die as well.
There is oxygenated water, oxygenated skincare products, oxygenated health food, and even oxygen bars where users go to inhale flavored oxygen.
Oxygen being one of the most important components of human life is in itself a very marketable product.
This, however, is exactly what it is. Marketing.
You may also notice that for every oxygenated product out there, you will find two more products containing antioxidants.
These products are formulated to rid your body of free radicals. Free radicals are formed in many ways — Smoking cigarettes, strenuous exercise, many happen naturally through digestion, and through various other environmental circumstances. The process of creating free radicals in the body usually forms a chain reaction of free radical creation and results in damage/disruption of living cells.
Oxygen free radicals are the most important types when it comes to aging. Oxygen is a very active molecule which will readily bond to molecules that aren’t paired or break weak bonds in molecules to pair with their single free electron, resulting in oxidation. When a metal is oxidized it is more commonly referred to as “rust.” When oxidation occurs in abundance in a human body it is attributed to all kinds of diseases from Alzheimer’s and other such neurodegenerative diseases to diabetes and certain toxicities, and in a less catastrophic but sometimes equally as daunting: aging.
Oxidation results in an inflammation in the blood or organ where the oxidation occurs, and every type of molecule and cell in the body can be a target.
In order to prevent such oxidation one must refrain from the overly oxygenated products and consume a diet rich in antioxidants. This consists mainly of plenty of fruits and vegetables and lots of vitamins C and E.
There is no prescribed amount of water that one must consume throughout a day, just drink when you are thirsty but do not force yourself to drink too much water for the sake of health. Everything you eat and drink will contain water, so other healthy alternatives would be coffee, tea, and 100% fruit and vegetable juices.
Eating food rich in Omega 3’s will also help to ward off inflammation and aging, such as salmon and other oily fishes or fish oil supplements.
Aging should not be as scary as we as a culture have made it out to be but there are a few very simple things that you can do to ward it off naturally.
1) Exercise. Cardio and some light weight training should do it to maintain your body. Half an hour - 45 minutes a day.
2) Diet. Most of the guidelines above should keep you on track. Salmon and other oily fish 3-4 times a week. Abundance of fruits and vegetables of all different colors. Nuts and whole grains.
3) Sleep. This is very imporant, your body needs at least 8 hours a night to make it through the sufficient amount of sleep cycles. Sleep is when your cells regenerate and your body heals itself. Sleep is also when your brain works through stresses and problems and finds solutions for maximizing efficiency when taking on the day.
4) Limit sun exposure. The sun usually marks a beautiful day, but it can also mark your skin with the telltale signs of aging. Sun damage can lead to cancer, and while some sun exposure is good for you (about 10-25 minutes a day) any more than that can lead to skin damage. Wear sun screen every day! This is important!
5) Relax. Nothing ages you faster than stress. Take some time to yourself, an hour a day atleast, to settle your brain, wind down, and not think about the things that are bothering you. If you must think about them, reflect and figure out what it is you can learn from difficult situations rather than mulling on the fact that the situation is difficult.
6) Have fun! Happiness can keep you young until the day you die. Make sure to have a rewarding hobby or activity that you enjoy regularly. For some it can be something creative like painting or sewing, for some its as simple as a favourite TV show with friends or going out on saturday nights.
You only have one body and one life, so you might as well make the best use of them and enjoy yourself and your time spent here below the sun. :)
Category: aging, beauty, diet, environment, fitness, happiness, health
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