Oxidative Stress - the Silent Inflammation!
by
Kathryn Alexander

Imagine millions of production factories in your body, within each a fire of metabolism burning fuel for energy or tissue maintenance. This fire of metabolism generates sparks some of which are trapped as energy, but others are merely bi-products. These bi-products (or free radicals as they are commonly referred to) are a grave problem, for unless they are neutralized by a good fire guard (anti-oxidants) or some able bodied fire fighters (anti-oxidant enzymes) they continue to regenerate, burning holes in our tissues. This is known as oxidative stress, a process that can very easily get out of hand particularly as we grow older and one which underlies many of the inflammatory conditions which appear with aging.

Problems will only arise when we generate more free radicals than we can mop up by our anti-oxidant systems. This occurs when we are either depleted of our anti-oxidant resources to do battle, or when daily exposure to the free-radical promoters exceeds our capacity to neutralise them. This is unlikely to happen in a pollution-free environment while taking a fresh, organic diet; but on a processed diet, along with daily exposure to environmental chemicals and radiation, this equation is likely to become unbalanced.

Free radicals attack anywhere; in the blood vessels causing heart disease, in the joints causing arthritis, in the brain causing dementia, and in connective tissue causing widespread tissue breakdown. At the site of attack, the surrounding healthy tissue will release growth factors to minimize the damage and promote the formation of scar tissue. This is the healing process; an initial inflammation followed by the regrowth of tissue. But unless the inflammation abates (the free radicals are mopped up), the tissues at the site of injury will continue to release more and more growth factors and produce more and more scar tissue until the problem becomes the scar tissue itself. Imagine this overgrowth of scar tissue as a darn in a sock - you've mended the hole but the darn does not resemble the weave of the sock and has little flexibility; what's more it may give you a blister. So it is in the body, the arteries narrow, the joints thicken, plaque builds up in the brain inhibiting the chemical signals, and soft tissues start to solidify. The cycle becomes even more complicated as immune cells migrate to the area and in turn generate free radicals as they try and remove the build-up. And so we see a self-perpetuating cycle of uncontrolled free radical damage.

 What can we do?

My first advice is don't let it get to this stage as by the time symptoms start it is pretty much out of control and hard to handle. Many have to resort to anti-inflammatory drugs or cortisone treatment to control the cycle of destruction, but in some situations, such as Alzheimer's disease, there is no effective treatment and the oxidative toll is relentless.

In short we need to make sure that anti-oxidant activity is greater than the production of free radicals. So if you follow the simple steps below you will fight the battle on both fronts -  by increasing your resources  while reducing your exposure.

Reduce the exposure

  Make sure that your diet is organic and fresh. All chemicals found in foods impose a considerable levy on our anti-oxidant resources and are the most immediate source of free radical activity. All chemicals and most  preservatives will promote free radical damage in the liver.
  Remember that both alcohol and smoking promote free-radical damage in the liver and arteries respectively. Smoking inhibits the uptake of oxygen by the body. A lack of oxygen at cell level increases acidity and free radical damage. 
  Remove heavy metals. Aluminium, lead and mercury will paralyse your fire-fighters, while copper and iron excite existing free radical activity and inflammation. These heavy metals are implicated in dementia where they allow and exacerbate free radical damage in the brain; and in arthritis and heart disease where they perpetuate the cycle of inflammation. So limit the use of canned foods (aluminium) and aluminium containing deodorants; be careful with commercial foods prone to mould (such as strawberries and red capsicums) as most anti-fungal preparations contain either mercury or copper; watch for copper in your drinking water and if you do have copper pipes use a good water purification system; be cautious with iron supplements as they may do more harm than good taken for protracted periods. We must be mindful that the removal of mercury amalgam fillings is but a small factor in the heavy metal equation ¡V do be aware of these other sources of contamination. 
  Reduce exposure to radiation from electrical equipment, power lines and computers
  Reduce stress (easier said than done!) - a potent free radical promoter

Increase the reserves

  Increase the amount of fresh organic vegetables and fruit in the diet. Juices, taken freshly prepared, will increase your levels of living anti-oxidants and enzymes. Anti-oxidant activity is non-existent in bottled, pasteurised and vitamin C enriched juices as the anti-oxidants will either be consumed or deactivated by the preservation process. Fresh is best.
  The rich source of pectin found in vegetable and fruits acts as a natural chelator of heavy metals. I have seen some outstanding results in clients who have adopted a juicing regime.
  A diet heavily biased towards vegetables will reduce the overall acidity in the system. Acidity predisposes to free radical production, damage and inflammation. By reversing the acidity you recharge the cells and restore the metabolism towards normal.