Free Radical and Oxidative stress cause lifestyle diseases solution is antioxidants

This article of mine influenced by book “What your doctor don’t know about nutritional medicine may be killing you”  written by Dr. Ray D. Strand , MD. He explained theory of free radical, oxidative stress and its relation to the lifestyle diseases in very simple way and I personally feel everyone must read this book. Wants to pay my thanks to one of my friend, who suggests me this book to enhance my core competence in preventive health care. 

Lifestyle disease and Free radical damage Recent research has verified that the major levels of tissue damage found in heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia is caused by an excess of a group of rogue chemicals known as ‘free radicals.’ When present in excess, these free radicals produce a state of ‘oxidative stress’ within the body which initiates many destructive pathways. These pathways initiate a flow of physiological changes leading to disease long before clinical symptoms are present.

What are free radicals and how do they cause oxidative stress?

To understand this I want to take you  to the level of smallest unit of body i.e. is “cell” and each cell contain mitochondria. These microscopic structures are sometimes called as “the powerhouse of the cell" because they generate energy in the form of ATP by using oxygen through transfer of electrons and produce a by – product of water. This process goes on without snag, at least 98 % of the time. But this process of using four electrons of oxygen to reduce it into water does not always happen as planned and a “free radical”is produced.  Now imagine your self in front of a crackling fire wood and a ember fall on a cloth or carpet can cause a whole in that. Same way this sparking and popping continue month after month and year after year you end up a burned cloth or carpet in front of fire wood. Yes this ember represents free radical and this carpet is your body which part of body receives added free radical, become prone to oxidative stress. Chronic oxidative stress can promote disease of most affected organ or body part. If eyes then macular degeneration, if joint then arthritis, if blood vessels then heart attack, arthrosclerosis etc, if brain Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases. Extensive oxidative damage to DNA is likely to cause mutations that may lead to cancer formation.

Our bodies have an intrinsic antioxidant capacity which works tirelessly to repair the damage caused by these free radicals. Body creates its own antioxidants. It’s not important to know further details but important is to realize that we all have our own natural defense system.  And this body’s antioxidant defense potential can be enhanced in two important ways; 1) increasing antioxidant enzyme activity (this generally occurs via exercise and a resulting cellular adaptive response) and 2) through the ingestion of foods containing natural antioxidants. (e.g. fruits and vegetables).

Food derived antioxidants have attracted considerable attention in recent years owing to the observation that persons who consume regular amounts of these molecules in their diet have a reduced risk of developing a range of lifestyle related diseases. Dark fruits and vegetables have the highest concentrations of antioxidants and should be consumed regularly to enhance the body’s antioxidant capacity. Green and white tea ‘polyphenols’ have been extensively studied and have been shown to be potent antioxidants that, not only neutralize free radicals but minimize cosmetic sun damage as well. Vitamins A, C, and E also have an antioxidant profile, however they have proven to be double edged swords as excess consumption will cause these molecules to become pro-oxidants that fuel free radical production.

Factors that causes the production of more free radicals than our bodies can fight off are very important to know , Excessive exercise, Excessive stress ,Air pollution ,Cigarette smoking, Polluted food and water ,UV rays, Medication & radiation.  these factors become big challenge for us specially water, air pollution and contaminated food due to chemicals and pesticides used in crop . We need to find out solution to save our new generation from these very harmful diseases .  

Sources

1. australasianresearch.org/assets/363792
2. 1) Yoshikawa, T.: A Guide to Free Radicals. Part 2. Sentan Igaku Sha, Tokyo, 1998. 2) Yoshikawa, T.: Medicine of Free Radicals. Shindan to Chiryo Sha, Tokyo, 1997. 3) Yoshikawa, T.: Science of Free Radicals. Koudan Sha Saientifikku, Tokyo, 1997.
3. What your doctor doesn’t now about nutritional medicine may be killing you by Ray D. Strand, MD.

Diabetes: lifestyle disease epidemic

Diet and exercise  plays an important role in the treatment of diabetes. The diet plan of an individual is based on height, weight, age, sex, physical activity lifestyle and nature of the disease conditions & associated diseases . diabetes can be managed with diet and exercise  therapy . Need to be disciplined and to set a routine , fix your meal time , sleeping time , exercise time .  It is very important to never skip any meal. It is easier to keep blood sugars stable if you eat your meals at the same time everyday. Don't overeat at any time of the day.

Drink ample of water. Water is important for everybody every day , but especially for diabetics because dehydration can cause more serious problem . Introduce herbal tea at the place of traditional tea coffee . take low fat diet so you will not attract another lifestyle diseases in the form of heart diseases related to increased cholesterol.

Eat at least 3 -4  servings of fresh vegetables and fruits  daily. Vegetables that can be consumed in larger quantities by diabetics are spring onion , onion , cabbage, mint, spinach, bitter gourd, lady's finger, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, radish, and pumpkin. Naturally occurring fruit sugar (fructose) is more slowly absorbed than sucrose, and raises the blood glucose to a lesser extent. Very sweet fruits (mango, banana, chikoo, grapes,  etc) can be taken in small portions, along with a meal to reduce the spike in blood glucose.
Avoid eating or drinking anything containing a lot of sugar  and fried or fatty foods. You can take dairy products like milk and yogurt but avoid fatty products like butter, cheese, ghee etc. It is better to use low fat milk or skimmed milk .Avoid eating large quantities of lots of rice, potatoes, bananas as these can raise your blood sugar level.

Exercise can help you improve your blood sugar control, as well as boost your overall fitness and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.But diabetes and exercise create unique challenges, too. Keep in mind to check your blood sugar before, during and after exercise. It will help to monitor how body responds to exercise — and help you prevent dangerous blood sugar fluctuations.
100 to 250 mg/dL (5.6 to 13.9 mmol/L)  is a safe pre-exercise blood sugar range. You can do workout and if it is for longer time check your blood sugar every 30 mint.This may be difficult if you're participating in outdoor activities or sports. However, this precaution is necessary until you know how your blood sugar responds to changes in your exercise habits.

Stop exercising if: Your blood sugar is 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) or lower ,you feel shaky, weak or confused. Eat or drink something to raise your blood sugar level, such as:

·        glucose tablets ( 3-4 )
·         1/2 cup  of fruit juice
·         1/2 cup of regular (not diet) soda
·          candy (2-3)
                       

Some effortless lifestyle changes.....to stay healthy

We have all heard that prevention is better than cure. Prevention is best solution for life style diseases like cancer, diabetes, heat diseases etc. we can save our self from the attack of this disease by making some effortless lifestyle changes. Prevent epidemics of life style diseases by making these  few changes .

1. check your weight:
Obesity is a frequent contributor to life style diseases -related deaths. If you are overweight, you have increased risk of, heart diseases, diabetes, PCOD, hormone disturbances, breast, kidney, oesophagus and colon cancer. So keep check on your body weight.

Advice :  Moderate exercise four times a week or 30 mint walk on daily bases along with a balanced diet is a very easy way to maintain healthy body weight.

2. Avoid smoking and  alcohol:
Alcohol adds on extra calories which may cause weight gain. Where as Cigarettes put you at a risk of lung, kidney, bladder and cervical cancer. Giving up tobacco is perhaps one of the biggest steps you can take to reduce your cancer risk.

Advice:  Adopt healthy habit of walk and meditation; it will help you to reduce smoking and drink. If you are chain smoker, try a nicotine patch, or pop some nicotine gum each time you feel the urge.

3. Good Fiber intake:
A healthy diet is crucial in reducing your chances of getting any disease; more fiber in your diet not only keeps your digestive system healthy, but also keeps your weight in check. Studies say people who consume a high amount of fiber are at 40 percent lower risk of stomach, pancreatic, colon and breast cancer.

Advice: Apart from whole grain cereals at breakfast, opt for high fiber vegetables and fruits in your daily meals.

4. Water intake: 
Water helps keep the body well hydrated, which is essential because almost every cell in the body needs water to function properly. In a clinical trial, scientists found that drinking two glasses of water prior to meals can help suppress appetite and hence support your weight loss efforts. Water also improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. This helps in digestion and prevents constipation. Water is an excellent detoxifier as it helps flush out toxins from your body and get rid of waste mainly through sweat and urine.

Advice: drink 9-12 glass of clean water per day.

5. Get screened regularly: Getting regular health checkups reduces your chances of discovering any life threatening diseases when it has progressed to a later stage.

6. Adequate sleep: 

Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more. Research indicates that people who get less sleep - six or fewer hours a night- have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins (Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging)  than those who get more. Sleep helps to loss weight and those who are on diet felt hungrier when they got less sleep.


Advice: Take proper sleep of 8-10 hr and if you have any long term problem in sleep do meditation and seek help from experts.