The concept of free radicals It is used in the field of chemistry to name those atoms or sets of them that have a unpaired electron , a condition that gives them instability and reactivity .
In search of equilibrium, atoms that have an unpaired electron try to obtain an additional electron at the expense of another atom . Once this is achieved, the atom that yields the electron becomes a free radical and tries, then, to recover that electron into a third atom. In this way, a chain reaction .
Specifically, it is considered that free radicals can be classified into two large groups:
-Internal, among these are from the stress that can be accumulated by different circumstances to the metabolism itself through a high amount of exercise ...
-External. Within this other group are alcohol consumption, excessive sun exposure, medication consumption, a bad diet ...
Free radicals are found in the atmosphere (through radiation) and in the organisms of living beings . Scientists are also able to perform free radical synthesis in a laboratory.
When the aforementioned chain reaction caused by free radicals takes place inside the human body, damage to the cells appears and can lead to various diseases .
What free radicals do is take electrons present in the cells . People can avoid the imbalance generated by this situation through antioxidant substances , which are responsible for the release of electrons in blood. In this way, free radicals capture those electrons to achieve their own balance and gain stability.
In addition to all of the above, it is necessary to know another important series of data related to free radicals, such as the following:
-They are very present in processes such as metabolism.
-It is important to be clear that there are certain phenomena or situations that cause the body to have a greater number of free radicals. We are referring to both a bad diet and the consumption of tobacco and even what contamination may exist around the person in question.
-Among the most common pathologies that can cause free radicals are cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cholesterol, arteriosclerosis ...
-Many and varied are the consequences that excessive accumulation of free radicals can bring. Thus, in addition to the mentioned diseases, there are aging, cardiovascular problems and even serious difficulties that affect the nervous system.
The usual way to incorporate antioxidants into the body is through food. Fish, tomatoes, oranges, carrots and wine are some of the substances that provide antioxidants and help avoid the consequences of reactions that produce free radicals.
All this without overlooking other foods such as mango, spinach, broccoli, green pepper, melon, strawberries, orange, green tea, kiwi ...
