You may have heard of oxidative stress before and know that it’s bad for your health, but you still may not have a clear idea of what it is and why it’s bad for the body. Here’s some more information.
Oxidative stress occurs in the body when free radicals and antioxidants are not in balance. This can lead to an increase in chronic disease and aging. Think of it like rusty pipes in a plumbing system—over time, new pipes develop rust and no longer work as effectively as they should. The same thing happens in the body with oxidative stress.
Free radicals are molecules in the body that are unstable. The reactions caused by free radicals are oxidation.
You’ve likely heard of antioxidants because they are found in some of the healthier foods we eat. On a scientific level, antioxidants are molecules that can provide a free radical to an electron without becoming unstable. When this happens, the free radical is less reactive.
Oxidative stress—which is that imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants—can contribute to both aging and chronic disease. This happens because the free radicals can damage your DNA, fatty tissue, and proteins. When free radicals cause enough damage over time, it can lead to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, just to name a few health problems.
While the body naturally makes some free radicals (and having some free radicals is needed for your health), you want to avoid having so many that it will lead to oxidative stress. One major way to avoid this problem is to consume more antioxidant-rich foods. These include:
- Berries such as blueberries
- Citrus fruits
- Fish
- Green tea
- Nuts
Healthy habits like regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, consistently good sleep and stress management can help your body ward off too much oxidative stress that may lead to aging and chronic disease.
How Reveal Vitality Can Help You Fight Against Oxidative Stress
If you’re concerned about oxidative stress, the good news is that you can take action to fight against it. At Reveal Vitality, we can help. We offer personalized, evidence-based therapies based on your unique genetics to help you live a healthier life and avoid chronic disease. We focus on:
- Comprehensive testing to identify your true risk and guide your treatment strategies.
- Personalized precision treatments that could include supplements, hormone therapy, energy medicine, peptides, all based on your unique nutritional needs and genetics.
- Individual and personalized care.
- Natural weight loss
- Precision nutrition plans that focus on your food preferences, goals, and meal patterns
Contact Reveal Vitality today at 941-217-2777 to set an appointment to optimize your health and reduce oxidative stress.