How to Age Gracefully: Defy Oxidative Stress

Oxidative Stress Explained

To explain oxidative stress let’s begin by imagining that our body is a city filled with superheroes. Within this city, unfortunately, there are troublemakers called free radicals. They are villains that travel throughout the city destroying buildings, cars, and other structures wherever they go. But the city also has keepers of the peace called antioxidants that protect the city from these troublemakers.

Antioxidants are the superheroes that have the power to arrest and apprehend free radicals and even clean up the damage they have made. They keep the city safe and free from trouble. But if these free radicals begin to outnumber the antioxidants, and there are not enough superheroes to protect the city, this imbalance of power within the body is called oxidative stress. It can lead to many kinds of health problems. Reducing oxidative stress places us on a path that can lead to increased lifespan, health span, and aging gracefully. So, let us address the real culprit; the reason this is such a challenge!

Free radicals are an enemy to longevity. They are unstable molecules within the body that are capable of damaging cells, proteins, and DNA. This sort of damage can cause inflammation in the body which can then lead to premature aging, degenerative conditions, asthma, leaky gut, chronic diseases like heart disease and cancers and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Depression. Research has shown that inflammation and oxidative stress can be at the root of hundreds of known diseases. When the body is overrun with free radicals over time, the resulting problem is called oxidative stress.

The symptoms are not necessarily life threatening in the beginning and can be corrected if caught early enough. Some symptoms of oxidative stress are fatigue, memory loss, wrinkles, gray hair, declining eyesight, headaches, weakened immune system, and unhealthy blood sugar levels. Oxidative stress is behind all the typical signs of aging that we are already familiar with. Recognizing these symptoms early can help us to make necessary changes sooner.

Although free radicals in excess are potentially harmful to our bodies, they are not always the result of poor lifestyle and dietary choices. They are also a natural byproduct of many internal bodily processes like breathing and the metabolism of food. Free radicals occur naturally within the body and exist in harmony with antioxidants until the population of free radicals becomes too numerous for our body to keep in check. Our ratio of antioxidants to free radicals needs to be greater to keep premature aging at bay.

Powerful Antioxidants Revealed

An antioxidant is a molecule within the body with the ability to disarm or neutralize a free radical. Antioxidants are necessary for our overall health. Our bodies produce two of the most powerful antioxidants that we need! Glutathione is a very strong antioxidant made by our body and is helpful in regulating insulin blood levels, attacking oxidative stress, and detoxifying cells.

Melatonin is another super antioxidant made by the body that is crucial to good health. It is thought to be even more powerful than glutathione. Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone and for its anti-inflammatory properties. It helps protect our skin from the oxidative damage of the sun and helps to regulate healthy sleep cycles. Adequate sleep is critical to aging well because this is when our bodies work hard to repair damaged cells and improve brain performance.

Quality sleep aids the body in maintaining a healthy metabolism for weight control and helps with mood and overall mental health. There are many other antioxidants you may be familiar with like vitamin C, vitamin E, beta- carotene, coenzyme Q10, astaxanthin, flavonoids, and polyphenols. And there are many more.

How to Boost Melatonin and Glutathione

So how can we boost these antioxidant levels in our body? Melatonin is so critical to our health that we must do all we can to increase its levels in our body. Getting adequate sunlight during the day aids our body in producing more melatonin. Sleeping in a completely dark room at night increases melatonin levels, as well as turning off phones, computers, and television screens several hours before bedtime. Eating more foods high in magnesium, eliminating stress in as many ways as possible, and decreasing caffeine intake close to bedtime are all very helpful in increasing melatonin levels in the body.

We can increase our body’s ability to produce glutathione by adding foods to our diet that are high in Vitamin C, rich in sulfur, high in selenium, and good sources of glutathione. Strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, papayas, and citrus fruits, are all good sources of vitamin C. In the citrus fruit family, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and kiwi can be enjoyed. And since our body uses sulfur to synthesize glutathione, organic pasture raised dairy products and organic pasture raised beef are healthy foods high in sulfur we can add to our diet.

We can also get sulfur from some plants, primarily from the cruciferous family. Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and mustard greens are all tasty choices we can add to boost sulfur levels in our body. Garlic, shallots, and onion from the allium family are also sulfur rich foods that increase glutathione in the body. Selenium rich foods like organic pasture raised beef, wild caught fish, and organic pasture raised cottage cheese are wonderful foods to add to our diet. Foods like spinach, okra, and avocados have naturally occurring glutathione in them. Turmeric extract can be used to level up glutathione levels. Turmeric extract contains a substance called curcumin that has medicinal properties. Turmeric as a spice is widely known for its bright yellowish orange color and delicious taste within Indian cuisine. To increase glutathione levels within the body, the turmeric extract is recommended over the spice. Unfortunately, the spice alone is not potent enough to raise glutathione levels. Another herbal supplement that can be used to increase glutathione in the body is called milk thistle. It contains a compound called silymarin that is also known for its antioxidant qualities. Astaxanthin is another powerful antioxidant that we can get through our diet. It is a reddish ketocarotenoid that primarily comes from some microalgae and yeast. Salmon get their orange-red color from eating this very algae. Astaxanthin has been linked to a healthier heart, skin, and joints. Eating wild caught salmon, trout, and shrimp are good sources of astaxanthin. To get more concentrated amounts of astaxanthin, supplementation is a good choice.

Exercise is a part of any regimen geared toward health and wellness, especially as we get older. Cardio and weight bearing exercises in combination have been shown to increase glutathione in the body. Overtraining without maintaining a healthy diet may produce the opposite results. The right kind of exercise needs to be paired with a nutritious diet.

Last, but not least is SLEEP. One of the best ways to aid our body in producing more glutathione and melatonin is by simply getting adequate nightly sleep. Proper sleep is necessary to decrease oxidative stress and even hormonal imbalances within the body. Research reveals that chronic sleep deprivation can lower glutathione levels, but in the opposite way, getting good nightly rest can increase them. As always, sleep is king, where life and aging gracefully are the goal.

Avoiding Outside Sources of Free Radical Damage

To reduce free radical damage within our bodies, we also need to make every effort to avoid as many outside sources as possible. There are quite a few things we can do to become proactive in slowing down this process. We need to avoid pollutants in the water we drink by investing in a quality water filter. We need to reduce our exposure to chemicals in cosmetics and products that we apply to our skin by seeking out clean all natural alternatives. We need to find household cleaning products that do not fill our indoor air with dangerous poisons. This of course includes avoiding smoke from cigars, cigarettes and e-cigarettes (vape pens). Smoking and breathing in 2nd hand smoke introduces so many harmful substances into the body. Nicotine, carcinogens, acrolein, diacetyl, heavy metals, cadmium, and benzene are just a few substances that cause oxidative stress in the body. Drinking alcohol excessively is another cause of oxidative stress. It has been shown that alcoholism leads to lung damage that is believed to be related to the severely depleted glutathione levels in the lung tissue. A lifestyle that limits alcohol intake will greatly encourage longevity. There are also some foods that we need to avoid in our diet like unhealthy seed oils and processed sugars. Seed oils like canola, sunflower, soy, and corn are unhealthy because they contain trans fats that can raise LDL cholesterol which is bad cholesterol. This increase of LDL levels can lead to coronary disease. Preferably, trade these unhealthy fats for healthy fats like quality organic extra virgin olive oil, organic pasture raised butter, and organic virgin coconut oil. Avoid excessive sugar and most sugar alternatives. Stick to natural sweeteners like raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized honey, organic grade B dark maple syrup, unsulphured blackstrap molasses, and organic coconut sugar. These sugars are not only sweet but still retain some of their naturally occurring nutrients. Raw honey has 20 plus amino acids, over 30 minerals and is a good source of several vitamins and enzymes. Dark maple syrup contains small amounts of manganese, zinc, calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium. Blackstrap molasses has iron, selenium, and copper. Just one tablespoon of blackstrap molasses has 10% of our daily requirement for calcium.

Embracing Anti-Aging By Defying Oxidative Stress

Aging gracefully is a process that involves a variety of strategies that are aimed at increasing the body's natural defenses against oxidative stress. By minimizing our exposure to these factors, we can significantly reduce the burden of oxidative stress on our body. Implementing positive lifestyle changes is key. Antioxidants are not only superheroes for our body, but one of its greatest allies in maintaining health and wellness as we age. When we make the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes, the life ahead of us begins to look brighter and our health begins to blossom before our very eyes.