Non Enzymatic Anti OxidantsIn Human Cells

By-AshutoshAs Level

What are free radicals? Why are they damaging to the human body? And how does vitamin E and the other antioxidant nutrients help protect the body against free radical damage? I will attempt to answer these questions and help you understand why eating 5-8 servings per day of anti-oxidant rich fruits and vegetables can benefit your health. But first, a little background is required to Understand the Concept

Background: A Brief Look at Chemical BondingTo understand the way that free radicals and antiots interact, you must first understand a bit about cells and molecules.  So here's a (very) brief refresher course in Physiology/Chemistry 101:  The human body is composed of many different types of cells. Cells are composed of many different types of molecules. Molecules consist of one or more atoms of one or more elements joined by chemical bonds.

As you probably remember from your old high school days, atoms consist of a nucleus, neutrons, protons and electrons. The number of protons (positively charged particles) in the atom?s nucleus determines the number of electrons (negatively charged particles) surrounding the atom. Electrons are involved in chemical reactions and are the substance that bonds atoms together to form molecules. Electrons surround, or "orbit" an atom in one or more shells. The innermost shell is full when it has two electrons. When the first shell is full, electrons begin to fill the second shell. When the second shell has eight electrons, it is full, and so on.

The most important structural feature of an atom for determining its chemical behavior is the number of electrons in its outer shell. A substance that has a full outer shell tends not to enter in chemical reactions (an inert substance). Because atoms seek to reach a state of maximum stability, an atom will try to fill its outer shell by: Gaining or losing electrons to either fill or empty its outer shellSharing its electrons by bonding together with other atoms in order to complete its outer shellAtoms often complete their outer shells by sharing electrons with other atoms. By sharing electrons, the atoms are bound together and satisfy the conditions of maximum stability for the molecule.

HOW FREE RADICALS ARE FORMED???Normally, bonds dont split in a way that leaves a molecule with an odd, unpaired electron. But when weak bonds split, free radicals are formed. Free radicals are very unstable and react quickly with other compounds, trying to capture the needed electron to gain stability. Generally, free radicals attack the nearest stable molecule, "stealing" its electron. When the "attacked" molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. Once the process is started, it can cascade, finally resulting in the disruption of a living cell.

Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism. Sometimes the bodys immune systems cells purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. However, environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also spawn free radicals.

Normally, the body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. Of particular importance is that free radical damage accumulates with age.

HOW ANTIOXIDANTS MAY PREVENT AGAINST FREE RADICAL DAMAGEThe vitamins C and E, are thought to protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-"stealing" reaction. The antioxidant nutrients themselves dont become free radicals by donating an electron because they are stable in either form They act as scavengers, helping to prevent cell and tissue damage that could lead to cellular damage and disease.

Vitamin E ? The most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant in the body. One of the most efficient chain-breaking antioxidants available. Primary defender against oxidation. Primary defender against lipid peroxidation (creation of unstable molecules containing more oxygen than is usual).

Vitamin C ? The most abundant water-soluble antioxidant in the body. Acts primarily in cellular fluid. Of particular note in combating free-radical formation caused by pollution and cigarette smoke. Also helps return vitamin E to its active form.

The Antioxidants and Disease Prevention Heart Disease ? Vitamin E may protect against cardiovascular disease by defending against LDL oxidation and artery-clogging plaque formation.

Cancer ? Many studies have correlated high vitamin C intakes with low rates of cancer, particularly cancers of the mouth, larynx and esophagus.

The Lesson: Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables!The antioxidants are believed to help protect the body from free-radical damage. But before you go out and stock your pantry with mega-doses of these vitamins, be warned: more is not always better. The long-term effect of large doses of these nutrients has not been proven. Other chemicals and substances found in natural sources of antioxidants may also be responsible for the beneficial effects. So for now, the best way to ensure adequate intake of the antioxidant nutrients is through a balanced diet consisting of 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Skin Bleaching: Glutathione Is Becoming A Dangerous FadMost people have never heard of glutathione (GSH) but for some it has become the latest fad - for skin bleaching, of all things.Why skin bleaching to become lighter when a whole lot of other people are instead getting spray-on tans? We're not psychologists, we are just here to talk about the health issues.

Glutathione is an antioxidant our bodies produce, a combination of three amino acids — glycine, glutamate and cysteine — which the body packages together. It helps prevent damage to cells by heavy metals, free radicals and such; exogenous GSH, both oral and injectable (intravenous, intramuscular), has been used for a variety of ailments. In the skin, it's thought that the extra GSH can interfere with the production of the pigment melanin — resulting in a lightening of the skin. That's the basis for the fad.

But some concerns have been raised about this use of GSH — especially when administered by an injectable route by unqualified individuals, which is the entire alternative medicine and much of the casual cosmetics community. For example, Dr. Ophelia E. Dadzie, a British dermatologist, associated with Hillingdon Hospitals Uxbridge in the United Kingdom, explains in an editorial in The British Medical Journal that there are few published data on the use of systemic (ie, by oral supplement or injection) GSH for skin bleaching. Small studies indicate that oral GSH plus other antioxidants demonstrated some skin lightening effects, but like any in-house trials of companies selling unverified treatments, it's marketing, not science.

And, she notes, "To date there are no published clinical trials that have evaluated the use of parenteral [injectable] glutathione for skin bleaching. There are also no published guidelines for appropriate dosing regimes, or guidance for treatment duration when using this agent in this setting."There is unknown validity and some known adverse effects with IV GSH. Those include toxic effects on the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Also of concern is the possibility of Steven Johnson syndrome, in which the top layer of the skin dies and is shed — a medical emergency.

Of course, improper use of IV equipment, especially if it is not sterile, can transmit a wide variety of infectious agents, such as HIV and hepatitis. Such problems are more likely when an injectable treatment is administered in beauty clinics - and that's where this fad is primarily going to be done.

In the United States, the FDA warns that there are no injectable products approved to lighten skin - none. That means they are unsafe.

So if you're thinking about trying GSH for skin lightening, don't, embrace who you are, but if you are determined to do it anyway, avoid the injectable form, no matter what someone selling you something claims. Remember, that like all supplements, the oral variety is not subject to review and approval by the FDA.

•http://www.healthchecksystems.com/antioxid.htm•http://www.slideshare.net/TapeshwarYadav1/antioxidant-55787282?qid=3b325a9e-5e2e-4079-98da-14f6551bb392&v=&b=&from_search=4

Chemistry Bibliography Sites

•http://acsh.org/news/2016/09/02/skin-bleaching-glutathione-becoming-dangerous-fad-9972