And oxidative stress affects your DNA?

Many people today are increasingly aware of the use of antioxidants (for certain foods or supplements) to combat oxidative stress. When asked why antioxidant strategies are taken, many say that fear of oxidative damage to DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) a molecule that contains the genetic instructions for building cells. energy as fuel for our cells, forming products in the process. Carbon dioxide and water are two of these products, but others include reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have both beneficial and potentially dangerous role in human physiology.

ROS are reactive species because they lack an electron. This lack of strength of electrons, then the active search reactive species again from any source, including cell membranes and DNA. In general, peroxide), stimulation of the functions of cell regulation and control enzyme the release of hormones. That's good. However, when the body produces more free radicals than necessary news is that all DNA lesions to be pathogenic, as our cells (hard-working, actually) also contain repair functions to correct DNA damage, base excision repair call (BER).

In trying to repair most of the time, REC can not fully correct all damage to DNA, the mutated DNA, which is located in carcinogenesis aging and aging-related diseases.

Give your body a "metabolic tune

For 20 years, Dr. Bruce N. Ames, University of California at Berkeley has analyzed the initiative ROS damage to DNA, the appearance of aging and disease progression, and advocated that

An excerpt from a 2002 publication in the Annals of the Academy of Sciences New York (Part editing)

In feeding studies age-related lipids, proteins and nucleic acids
4) High levels of antioxidants,
5) the restoration activity and substrate binding affinity of a key enzyme mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferase.

These mitochondrial metabolites and antioxidants:
1) to protect neuronal cells of the neurotoxin and oxidant-induced toxicity and oxidative damage;
2) delay the normal aging of human fibroblast cells,
3) prevent acceleration-induced oxidative aging.

These results suggest a plausible mechanism: with age, increased oxidative damage of proteins and lipid membranes, particularly in mitochondria, causes a) a deformation of the structure of the enzyme, b) the consequent decrease of enzyme activity c) affinity for the substrate of its substrates. A higher level of substrate restores the velocity of the reaction and reading

Liu J *, H Grioua, Kuratsune H, Ames BN. Delay mitochondrial damage and cerebral aging antioxidants and mitochondrial metabolites. Ann NY Acad Sci 2002 Apr; 959:133-66.
* Ames BN. Role for supplements optimizing health: the development of metabolism. Arch Biochem Biophys. March 1, 2004, 423 (1) :227-34.
* PubMed database
* Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, oxidative stress, target = "_blank"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidative_stress

Reading References
* Laboratory data on nutrient
* Phytochemicals database of the Agricultural Research Service USDA target = "> Http://www.pl.barc.usda.gov/usda_chem/achem_home.cfm _blank"
* Article from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, target = "> http://www.wikipedia.com _blank "

Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc.

About the Author

Dr. Paul Gross is a scientist and expert on cardiovascular and brain physiology. Gross is founder of Berry Health Inc, a developer of nutritional, berry-based supplements. For more information, visit
http://www.berrywiseonline.com