Oxidative stress: the silent wear and tear inside your body
From ageing to chronic diseases, experts explain how oxidative stress affects your cells and what you can do to reduce it.
Oxidative stress, a silent form of wear and tear within the body, occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced during everyday processes like energy production, infection fighting, and cellular repair. When too many free radicals accumulate, surpassing the body's antioxidant defenses, oxidative stress emerges, gradually damaging cells and contributing to disease development.
Pharmacist Benjamin Lim explains that while excess free radicals are problematic, a balanced presence of both free radicals and antioxidants is essential. Overproduction of free radicals without sufficient antioxidants can lead to oxidative stress, damaging cells and tissues over time. This damage may further impair mitochondrial function, reduce energy production, and trigger inflammation.
Chronic oxidative stress may contribute to severe health issues. Lim emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balanced ratio of free radicals and antioxidants, comparing heat to free radicals - useful in moderation, yet damaging when uncontrolled. The body naturally produces antioxidants through the liver and cellular mechanisms, but lifestyle factors like diet, sleep, smoking, alcohol, and stress can disrupt this balance.
Symptoms of excessive oxidative stress include fatigue, declining energy, premature aging, mental fog, and slower wound healing. To combat oxidative stress, Lim recommends a balanced diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, adequate exercise to promote controlled cellular stress, and stress management. Moderate antioxidant intake through supplements like ginkgo biloba may also support vascular health and brain function.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
