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Anti-Oxidant Enzymes: Your First Line Of Defence Against
Free Radicals
Anti-oxidant
enzymes are the body’s first line of defence in the battle against the premature
ageing effects of free radicals.
Free
radicals are a normal and natural by-product of the energy producing biochemical
reactions in the mitochondria of each and every cell in the body. Like other waste products, however, free
radicals can cause problems if they’re produced in excessive quantities which
cannot be safely disposed of. In
the case of excessive free radicals, the problems caused are damage to the very
cells and molecules of the body; damage which spreads rapidly through chain
reactions as the damaged cells and molecules themselves become free
radicals. Left unchecked, these
chain reactions can accelerate the process of ageing within the body and even
contribute to the development of the characteristic diseases of
degeneration -
heart and circulatory problems, age-related cognitive and visual impairment, and
even cancer.
The
so-called superoxide free radicals are a particularly pernicious example and are
released upon the metabolism of oxygen within cells, literally with breath we
take Superoxide free radicals react
with other by-products of energy production to form hydroxyl, the most damaging
free radical of all, and to attack the mitochondria of the cells themselves.
Since
it is the mitochondria which ultimately produce the energy for all the body’s
vital reactions, mitochondrial damage due to free radicals can only mean the
production of less and less energy and the gradual deterioration and
degeneration of the entire organism.
It has even been argued that the rate of mitochondrial damage is the key
to the rate of ageing itself.
The
antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione, are the
body’s first line of defence against superoxide free radicals and work in a
closely complementary fashion. It
is dismutase that first breaks down the superoxide free radicals into oxygen and
hydrogen peroxide, but catalase is then required to break down that hydrogen
peroxide into plain oxygen and water.
Further free radical attack would otherwise turn the hydrogen peroxide
into the dreaded hydroxyl which once formed cannot be neutralised by any
enzyme.
So far,
so good, but the problem is that catalase is water and not fat soluble and is
therefore ineffective at protecting those vital parts of the cell, such as the
membranes, which are actually formed of fat. For this the body also needs glutathione
to soak up and neutralise any rogue hydrogen peroxide molecules in these
areas. Glutathione also acts
directly against any free radicals attacking the fatty membranes
themselves.
Each of
these enzymes is formed by the body from the amino acids in the proteins in your
diet and each is needed for the others to function correctly. This holistic functioning of the body is
also reflected in the dietary requirements for the successful production of the
enzymes. As well as a good supply
of first-class protein, ie that containing each of the eight essential amino
acids, a wide variety of vitamins and minerals are required to allow optimal
levels of enzyme manufacture.
In
particular, vitamin C and those of the B complex, together with trace minerals
such as manganese, zinc, copper, sulphur and selenium appear particularly
important. But it can never be
stressed too strongly that the body functions holistically and a deficiency or
malfunction of any one of its myriad of incredibly complex and interdependent
systems is almost invariably part of a more general
malaise.
Damage
to cells once done appears to be irreversible. That’s why although there may be ways to
slow down the ageing process, nobody’s yet figured out how to reverse it. By the time you see the visible evidence
of nutritional deficiencies it’s probably already too late.
So in
seeking to ensure an adequate supply of anti-oxidant enzymes, the only sensible
policy to pursue is to ensure that the diet is rich in all essential nutrients.
Unfortunately
that’s easier said than done in our “advanced” Western civilisation of these
days. Intensive over exploitation
of farm soils, the modern prevalence of highly refined grains, and the treatment
of fruits and vegetables with preservatives, dyes, pesticides and even radiation
is a proven disaster for vitamin and mineral retention in
food.
This
does not for a moment mean that it’s not worth trying to eat a diet rich in
anti-oxidants – that’s to say a diet which includes lavish servings of fresh
fruit and vegetables. But it does
mean that a regime of sensible anti-oxidant supplements may be a wise
precaution, and its one increasingly adopted by many well
informed individuals, including physicians, as a sensible and cost effective
form of health insurance.
Steve
Smith
June 2007
More on the anti-oxidant power of liquid vitamins and minerals