Human age—this fundamental rule of life is for the sake of species
survival and no—no one can stop it. Yes—we
all know this at an abstract level.
However, when it comes down to the individual level, none of us wants to
age. For me personally, it’s really just about
feeling great and looking great for as long as I can so I don’t have to face
the reality of aging. To slow down the
aging process, we need to understand the process first. Unfortunately, there isn’t one slam-dunk
theory capturing the “truth” of aging.
There are many scientific theories.
In the next few posts, I will
discuss each theory. Today, it’s about
the free radical theory of aging—the most popular of them all.
The free radical theory of aging: Free radicals, or Reactive Oxygen Species
(ROD), are the toxic byproducts of normal cell metabolism in an oxygen-rich
world, which is a world we are living in.
Natural substances within cells such as antioxidants can clean up and
neutralize the dangerous free radicals.
Those free radicals that escape the cleanup damage DNA, proteins and
mitochondria (organelles within cells that produce energy). The resulting damage, which is called
oxidative damage, accumulates over time, leading to genome instability, and is
considered the primary cause of the aging process.
As indicated above, this is the most popular theory of aging. I do believe that oxidative damage is one of
the most important aspects of the aging even though I do not believe that it is
the only one. Many skincare and
anti-aging products are developed based on this theory. Check out a drug store shelf—I guarantee that
you will find tons of products with the word “antioxidant” in the product
description. The common antioxidants in
skincare products are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Q10, and various phyto-antioxidants
such as flavonoids, flavones, and polyphenols.
All are effective with enough dosage and with regular applications. For the homemade skincare recipes with
antioxidants, please check out my previous posts—there are many!
To counter oxidative damage caused aging, do load up
antioxidants in your daily diet. Many
fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants—because antioxidants are the
plants’ natural defense against the oxidative damage to them. You can also use supplements. For me, it’s the green tea—love the taste and
of course the result.
Thanks for reading!
Connie
Comments
Post a Comment