Up until recently I didn’t know that such a theory existed but now, not only do I know that it exists, I also understand that it seems to be a leading contender to explain the aging process.
The Free Radical Theory of Aging was first proposed by Dr. Denham Harman and I’ve paraphrased what he is proposingas follows:
Free radicals can be produced within the body as part of the normal metabolic process and outside of the body from toxic sources like cigarette smoking. The changes that these free radicals induce in our bodies are a main cause of aging, disease development and inevitably -death. When the bodies defense mechanism against free radicals – namely antioxidants – are no longer produced or available in sufficient numbers to combat the free radicals, the changes that they create in the cells accumulate, creating mutations in the sequence of genetic material. As these mutations accumulate the systems of the body deteriorate leading to the development of aging and degenerative diseases.
In short – when we are missing out on the antiaging benefits of enough antioxidants in our systems, the free radicals are left to damage cell structure, cluttering up our system with damaged cells, toxins and making it more difficult for our bodies to adapt to environmental stresses.
Now, we’re all going to age, but clearly if I’m going to live to be 105 then I would like to spend as many of those years in the best shape I can be in and to do that, I will need to keep my body well supplied with the best antioxidants.
maybe I’ll choose antioxidant supplements like CoEnzymeQ10 and maybe I’ll provide my body with the nutrients it needs to produce it’s own antioxidants – like Glutathione. But I’m convinced that I’m going to call on the anti aging power of antioxidants for a long time to come.