Free Radicals Heavily Implicated in Diabetes Diseases
Atom
Free radicals are not our best friends as you will see if you keep reading. Free radicals are blamed for many illnesses and are heavily implicated in heart disease and diabetes diseases because they damage the innermost layer of our arteries. Remember that 80 percent of diabetics die of a heart attack.
Atoms can become free radicals
As you may recall from your “Physics 101” class, the nucleus of an atom is surrounded by pairs of electrons, but at times, an atom may lose one of the electrons. This type of atom is called a free-radical or radical, a highly unstable and destructive molecule that in the process of trying to get its “pair”, attaches itself to another molecule, altering its structure and functionality.
The molecule “attacked” becomes a free radical itself, creating a chain reaction of unstable molecules. These unstable molecules subject our cells to continuous damage, known as oxidative stress, that eventually kill the cells. When radicals kill or damage enough cells in an organism, the organism ages and eventually dies.
The Endothelium: the Teflon of our arteries
The inside wall of an artery is protected by a layer of cells called the endothelium. A healthy endothelium can be
Heart arteries
compared to a Teflon coating because it is non-sticky, a quality that allows the blood to flow easily through the arteries.
But when the cells of the endothelium are damaged, let’s say by free radicals, they fall off from the artery wall leaving that portion of the blood vessel unprotected. This process sets the stage for the formation of plaques in the arteries.
What triggers the formation of free radicals?
- Cigarette smoke
- Over exposure to sunlight or smog
- Excessive exercise
- Radiation
- Our own metabolism in carrying on our body functions.
All these factors can cause our bodies to become overwhelmed by free radicals and the natural body mechanisms may not be sufficient to eliminate them.
Smoking
You may be asking yourself by now why our bodies form free radicals. Some free radicals are formed during normal body functions such as eating, drinking, or breathing and their presence is not always detrimental; for example, free radicals fight viruses and bacteria in our bodies.
However, free radicals are bad for us when our bodies produce too many. Normally, the body can handle oxidation through especial molecules that neutralize radicals before they can damage our cells and cause disease. However, if free radical production becomes excessive or if not enough antioxidants are available, the production of free radicals gets out control. And here is when the problem appears.
Emilia Klapp, RD, BS.
Your Diabetes Coach
www.TheDiabetesClub.com
www.MediterraneanDietForTheHeart.com
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