Why do we get old? This is a question that our ancestors have been searching for answers to, and so have scientists. Over the years, most scientists have agreed on one idea, and that is that free radicals cause aging. Most antioxidant and anti-aging drugs are based on the principle of reduce free radicals, and in this article today, we will first explore free radicals.
What are Free Radicals?
The reason why it is called a free radical is that it has an unpaired lone electron, which is very active and will snatch electrons everywhere.
We live in a world of atoms, and all atoms have to follow a rule that whenever two atoms are together, their outer electrons have to pair up. If they don’t pair up, this atom will look around for other atoms to pair up with, and in this case, the atom will become unstable, which is a free radical.
Medical science has found that electron snatching by free radicals in human cells is the cause of many diseases, for example, some free radicals snatch electrons in protein molecules, which may cause malformations and eventually cancer.
Of course, free radicals are not all big bad, some free radicals are self-controlled. Therefore, some free radicals are also important for the body, for example, immune cells use free radicals to kill bacteria and protect the organism. Free radicals also help us to transport energy. A certain number of free radicals is beneficial, but, beyond a certain number, the balance will be disrupted and disease and aging will follow. The most important free radicals would belong to reactive oxygen species (ROS).
We all know that oxygen is very important for our body, but it has a bad feature that it is very easy to become free radicals, and under special circumstances, it may be harmful to our bodies. About 4-5% of the oxygen we inhale may be converted into free radicals, so oxygen sustains life and may end up destroying it.
How Are Free Radicals Produced?
In our body, basic metabolism, chemical reactions, and energy production are taking place almost every second, so free radicals are produced at all times.
When organic substances are exposed to light, combustion, heating, food metabolism, and other chemical reaction conditions, there are always some covalent bonds breaking, some new covalent bonds are created, and when they break, unpaired lone electrons are formed, and it becomes free radical. Also, exercise may produce free radicals, but it does not mean that exercise may accelerate aging, the other significance of exercise is still very important, just do not over-exercise for a long time.
Antioxidants and Free Radicals
More free radicals will accelerate aging. This time send a rescuer, that is, antioxidants, antioxidants can help free radicals to find objects and become stable. Antioxidants are specifically used to neutralize free radicals and make them stable.
There are three main sources of antioxidants: Our body synthesizes antioxidants on its own, we can also get them from food, and we can also ingest supplements.
If you take supplements, the amount of antioxidant intake should not be too much, you must grasp the principle of moderation because the body also needs free radicals, so you must consider your age and physical condition.
In addition, mitochondria are the processing plants of energy and free radicals. We need the energy to breathe, sleep, eat, move and think, and that energy comes from our mitochondria.
Mitochondria are very small organelles that are present in every cell and combine the energy we take in (sugars and fats), plus the oxygen we breathe in, to produce the energy we need, ATP (ATP).
During the synthesis of energy in the mitochondria, a series of chemical reactions are generated that can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) radicals, which are very unstable and may react with other molecules to oxidize and accelerate aging in the body. According to statistics, about 90% of ROS radicals, come from the mitochondria, an energy-processing plant.
While mitochondrial production of ROS radicals can accelerate aging in the body, luckily when fat fuels the body, there are far fewer ROS radicals and much less oxidative stress. And the ketone bodies produced can make your brain clearer and work more efficiently. It’s worth noting that a keto diet doesn’t just improve mitochondrial function and reduce free radicals, it can even increase the number of mitochondria.
Of course, in addition to switching energy supply mode, we have other methods, which are to try to control eating methods such as eating less, lightly, fasting, and fasting. The principle of longevity is also partly due to this and of course autophagy and so on. Every time food enters the body, metabolizes, and produces energy, a certain amount of free radicals will be produced, accelerating aging, if you eat less, the natural aging rate becomes slower.
Keto Diet Helps to Reduce the Production of Free Radicals
The keto diet, another feature, allows you to eat less naturally and perform light fasting easily, without difficulty or pain, and starvation is comfortable. Best of all, ketogenic may make you live longer.
On September 5, 2017, the Buck Institute for Anti-Aging Research published two studies on cells that experimented with rats and focused on the effects of a low-carbon-high-fat diet, on their lifespan, memory, risk of death, and other dietary effects.
The first study showed that a low-carbon-high-fat (less staple food, more fat) diet reduced the risk of death in middle-aged rats and improved memory in older rats. The second study showed that a low-carbon-high-fat (less staple food, more fat) diet prolonged the life span of adult rats.
Of course, this is only a rat study and can only be borrowed from, not fully convincing. However, it is good that we know the principle. A Keto diet can greatly reduce the production of free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, which will naturally prevent aging and live longer. So, if we want anti-aging and longevity, we have to find ways to reduce free radicals.
Reduce free radicals, most importantly, remove sugar, which is the source of free radicals, because most free radicals are generated because of sugar metabolism in the mitochondria. To reduce free radicals, many people choose antioxidant foods, supplements, etc., and these certainly have some effect.
However, the best way to reduce the free radicals produced by mitochondrial processing plants can be done in two ways:
- Reduce the amount of food eaten to reduce the free radicals produced by the mitochondria.
- Switch the mode of energy supply, using less sugar for energy and fat for energy.
Of course, we also need to change our bad environment to prevent the growth of free radicals, for example, quit smoking, drink less alcohol, prevent long exposure to the sun, clean air, leave pollution, eat less chemical additives, eat original organic food, avoid radiation, and so on. Using good fats, nourishing your skin, reducing carbohydrate intake, and reducing free radicals, such a diet will not only save you a lot of money, but the results are also much better than skin care products.
