What Are Cells, Free Radicals, & Antioxidants? What Do They Do?
Healthier Cells, Healthier You: Your hectic lifestyles, poor diets, and unhealthy habits, like smoking or alcohol consumption, can take a toll on your body—especially on your cells’ ability to function correctly. But what are cells and why are they so important? Cells are the building blocks that make up all living things. All our tissues and organs are made up of cells (i.e., muscles, heart, liver, lungs). Your cells make up the body that is you! Our cells are responsible for completing countless biochemical reactions that occur within them and metabolic processes that drive bodily functions necessary to support life. Yes, they are that important! The sum of all biochemical reactions in our body is known as our metabolism. Also, our cells play a crucial role in removing waste (anything not needed by the body) and toxins (anything that impairs cell function) from the body. Unfortunately, without adequate nutrition, to support optimal cell function, our cells’ health diminishes as they become more vulnerable to toxins due to insufficient antioxidant support and protection from free radicals. Cells can become inactive as a result of any chronic deficiency of vital nutrients necessary for cellular energy production or other biological processes. The result is likely to be poor health and, in turn, poor quality of life. Lacking adequate nutrients in your body can lead to experiencing loss of energy, early signs of aging, and other severe health risks. However, supplementing your cells with crucial nutrients will support their optimal function and repair and prevent further damage (i.e., oxidative damage). Improving cell function makes it possible to regain healthy energy levels. You get a second chance with STEMFUEL®.
Get Your Free Radicals Under Control: Free radicals are atoms or molecules that are highly unstable and reactive because they contain an unpaired electron. These unstable free radicals try to compensate for their shortage by stealing an electron from other healthy, active cells (molecules), causing a chain reaction of those cells becoming electron-stealing free radicals as well. The process of free radicals stealing electrons is known as oxidation, and it is dangerous because when they alter (called “mutation”) the integral structure of critical cellular components (i.e., DNA, Mitochondria, Cell Membrane), cells become dysfunctional and/or inactive. So, where do they come from? The process of oxidation occurs in several circumstances, including exposure to pollution or environmental toxins, strenuous exercise, poor digestion, radiation, cigarette smoking, glucose utilization by cells to produce energy, sun exposure (UVA/UVB), and even chronic stress. Over time, free radicals can overwhelm the body, resulting in oxidative stress, which leads to cell damage, early aging, inflammation, and increases the risk of several chronic diseases.
The Power of Antioxidants: Found in the fruits and vegetables that we eat, antioxidants are powerful substances for our body’s natural defense mechanism that neutralize free radicals (unpaired electron-molecules) and reduce oxidative stress to keep cells healthy and active and support optimal cell function. Without antioxidants, your healthy cells become compromised and unable to safeguard components of your cells, such as your DNA, from oxidative damage. So, how do they work exactly? Antioxidants, just as their names imply, are large complex molecules that help eliminate oxidative damage by safely donating an electron to an unpaired electron free-radical. This is accomplished without damaging nearby healthy cells (molecules), thus repairing and stabilizing the free radical and terminating its chain reaction of damaging (stealing) other electrons from nearby cells. In supplying electrons, the antioxidant molecules do not themselves become free radicals. Fortunately, the body produces its own antioxidants naturally, but quite often it's overwhelmed by the excessive volume of free radicals that exceed the body's antioxidant production to counteract them. Again, free radicals come from the natural by-products of biochemical processes, such as cellular metabolism. They are also generated by inflammation, stress, and illness. In addition, unhealthy environmental factors such as pollution, cigarette smoke and industrial chemicals increase our risk of exposure to free radicals. Therefore, increasing one’s intake of antioxidants minimizes the destructive oxidative damage caused by free radicals. STEMFUEL® will help protect your cells health and well-being for optimum quality of life.