Understanding Oxidative Stress: How It Impacts 4 Major Chronic Diseases

If you or someone you know has ever been diagnosed with a chronic disease, then you must have heard of the term oxidative stress. However, do you understand what oxidative stress means? For some people, it is one of those things often overlooked (like when you see a complex and long word and skip it). Well, here is a simple explanation.

Thanks to the metabolic processes that occur in the body (such as immune responses, enzymatic reactions, etc), unstable compounds known as free radicals are produced. These free radicals cause the decay and aging in normal cells because they siphon electrons from normal cells. Furthermore, this causes what is referred to as oxidative stress in the cell. In this piece, you will understand how oxidative stress impacts four major chronic diseases.

What Is Oxidative Stress?

This is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Although free radicals are some form of necessary evil, they can cause more harm than good when they accumulate in excess. This is because excessive buildup of free radicals attacks healthy cells, damages DNA, and can even worsen chronic diseases.

Factors That Increase Oxidative Stress

The following factors promote oxidative stress in the body;

• Poor diet
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Chronic inflammation
• Pollution
• Smoking
• Stress
• UV radiation

Oxidative Stress Is the Hidden Culprit Behind Chronic Diseases

• Cardiovascular disease:

  Chronic oxidative stress can damage blood vessels, increase the buildup of plaque in the arteries, and worsen cardiovascular issues. This buildup of plaque is one of the major underlying causes of heart attacks and strokes. One of the underlying mechanisms of this buildup is the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (popularly known as bad cholesterol). Oxidized LDL particles trigger an immune response that leads to plaque buildup and stiffening of the arteries. This increases the risk of developing or worsening various heart diseases.

   

• Diabetes Mellitus:

  Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders that cause high levels of glucose in the blood due to inadequate insulin production or impaired insulin action by the pancreas. Free radicals, which act like muscle men for oxidative stress, interfere with insulin production, worsen insulin resistance, and inhibit glucose transport into the cells. As a result, these actions elevate blood sugar levels and exacerbate diabetes and its complications.

   

• Neurodegenerative disorders:

  Oxidative stress leading to free radical attack on neural cells contributes to its devastating role in the development and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. Cells of the neurons can be severely impacted by cellular stress for several reasons. Firstly, they are exposed to high oxygen concentration and use about 20% of the respired oxygen. Consequently, 1-2% of consumed oxygen generates free radicals (specifically reactive oxygen species), which causes damage due to free radicals.  Also, neurons in the brain are enriched in metal ions, which can accumulate in the brain. This can be a potent catalyst for the formation of free radicals. Finally, brain neurons contain low concentrations of antioxidants when compared to other tissues. All these factors increase the risk of developing various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.

   

• Cancer:  

  High levels of free radicals can overwhelm your antioxidant response, cause irreversible damage the nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. As a consequence, this can trigger genetic changes leading to the malfunctioning of the tumor suppressor genes. Also, continuous oxidative stress and chronic inflammation can permanently damage tumor suppressor genes and cause mutations. As a result, this can lead to the onset of cancer.

Strategies to Combat Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress can come in various forms and levels of severity. It can cause damage and lead to the development of chronic diseases. Therefore, to combat oxidative stress, the following tips are recommended;

• Use of powerful antioxidants: This includes the master antioxidant, which is NATURE’SFIELD GLUTATHIONE, which confers many benefits in the body.  This includes playing a vital role in detoxification, antioxidant protection, and improving skin problems etc.
• Adopting lifestyle changes: This includes taking sustainable measures to mitigate the risk factors that lead to oxidative stress. These changes include: stress management techniques, improving your diet, developing a regular exercise routine, etc. These boost the function of your antioxidant network and effectively fight oxidative stress.

Generally, oxidative stress can act as a double-edged sword. While it can contribute to cancer development by causing DNA damage and inflammation, cancer cells can also adapt to high levels of oxidative stress to promote their survival and spread. Hence, maintaining healthy living is a never-ending journey that requires sustaining a balance between antioxidants and free radicals, which can control the havoc caused by oxidative stress. Boosting your antioxidant levels with NATURE’SFIELD GLUTATHIONE is a crucial step to maintaining this balance and reducing the severity and risk of developing various chronic diseases.