It can be hard to keep up with the latest updates in our ever-evolving, health-conscious world. You’ve most likely heard advice about eating foods high in antioxidants, getting plenty of sleep, and making time for exercise.
Did you know that the reason for this advice partly relates to oxidative stress?
Having a better understanding of oxidative stress and how it impacts your body can help you make informed lifestyle choices.
We’ve partnered with C60 Purple Power to answer all your questions about oxidative stress.
What is oxidative stress?
Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between your body’s antioxidant defenses and the production of free radicals, which can potentially damage your cells.
Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with unpaired electrons. They are crucial for certain bodily functions, such as fighting off pathogens. Research also suggests that free radicals may be beneficial in the process of wound healing.
However, because free radicals have an uneven number of electrons, they are more reactive. When they gain an electron from a nearby substance, such as a strand of DNA, they can change or damage the strand’s structure.
Exposure to an excessive amount of free radicals causes oxidative stress in your body. This can happen because of:
- infection
- over-exercising
- exposure to toxins
- burn injuries
Oxidative stress may lead to adverse health effects such as:
- disease
- rapid aging
- inflammation
- male infertility
Antioxidants are molecules that can donate an electron to free radicals and neutralize them, limiting a free radical’s ability to cause damage.
What causes oxidative stress?
Your body naturally produces some free radicals in response to exercise or certain food or drink. For example, drinking alcohol can cause an increase in free radicals.
Additionally, many potential sources of free radicals exist around you, including:
- cigarette smoke
- air pollution
- sunlight
- industrial chemicals
- radiation
- pesticides
Cumulative exposure to free radicals from these sources can lead to oxidative stress and cause cell and tissue damage.
What are the risk factors for oxidative stress?
Your environment and habits can influence how likely you are to experience oxidative stress.
The following may increase your risk of oxidative stress:
- air pollution
- smoking
- sun exposure
- excessive exercise
- food contaminants such as pesticides
- alcohol consumption
- exposure to industrial chemicals
- radiation
- medications
- obesity
How do you know if you have oxidative stress?
Some potential signs of oxidative stress include:
- chronic fatigue
- memory loss
- brain fog
- infections
Oxidative stress may also contribute to visible signs of aging, like gray hair and wrinkles.
A small 2020 study found that participants who went gray prematurely had significantly higher oxidative stress levels than those who didn’t.
Lifestyle factors that can increase oxidative stress, such as sun exposure and smoking, may also cause skin damage.
Additionally, oxidative stress can increase your risk for chronic health issues such as:
- Cancer: Research from 2021 links smoking-related oxidative stress to tissue damage that may cause cancer.
- Inflammatory diseases: Free radicals may also play a role in causing rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory condition that causes joint pain and damage.
- Cardiovascular diseases: Evidence suggests that oxidative stress is involved in both heart disease and stroke.
- Neurological disorders: One 2017 review points out oxidative damage plays a role in neurological diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Respiratory diseases: The same reviewalso links lung diseases such as asthma to oxidative stress.
- Liver disease: Research from 2015 suggests that oxidative stress contributes to alcohol-induced liver injury.
- Kidney diseases: Oxidative stress may impair kidney function and potentially lead to kidney failure.
How can I prevent oxidative stress?
Since antioxidants fight free radicals, some experts consider an antioxidant-rich diet helpful in defending against oxidative stress.
Nutrients that are high in antioxidants include:
- vitamins A, C, and E
- beta-carotene
- lycopene
- selenium
- zinc
- phenolic compounds
Many foods contain these nutrients, including:
- berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
- leafy greens like spinach, cabbage, and kale
- citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit
- bell peppers
- pumpkin and squash
- tomatoes
- broccoli
- sweet potatoes
- grapes
- avocado
- cherries
- nuts
- legumes
- seeds like sunflowers seeds and sesame seeds
- seafood like fish, oysters, and shrimp
- green tea
- dark chocolate
Studies are mixed on whether supplementing with antioxidants is an effective way to fight oxidative stress.
Making the following lifestyle changes may help prevent oxidative stress:
- Quit smoking, if you smoke. Smoking increases your risk factor for a variety of diseases.
- Include more antioxidant-rich foods in your diet. To limit oxidative stress opt for foods high in antioxidants, like fresh berries and leafy greens, and limit your intake of saturated fats.
- Limit alcohol use. Research suggests heavy alcohol consumption interferes with the body’s defenses against oxidative stress and can lead to a variety of health problems including liver disease.
- Lower your stress levels. If you’re chronically stressed, you may also have higher levels of oxidative stress in your body. Try finding time to elax or consider starting a meditation routine to ease emotional stress.
- Protect your skin. While sunlight is an important source of vitamin D, sun exposure is another cause of oxidative stress. Regularly wearing sunscreen helps protect your skin from sun damage.
- Get physical. Research indicates that moderate exercise is helpful for preventing oxidative stress and beneficial for health in general. But be aware that too much exercise can actually lead to an increase in oxidative stress.
- Get enough sleep. Getting a solid amount of sleep is crucial for your health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links sleep deprivation to several health conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and depression.
- Try antioxidant supplements. Some research suggests that antioxidant supplements may have certain benefits, including slowing the progression of osteoarthritis. However, one 2019 study also shows that some supplements may be toxic at high doses.
C60 is an example of a supplement that may provide antioxidant benefits. C60 Purple Power’s Carbon 60 in Organic MCT Coconut Oil is made with 99.99% pure, sublimated carbon 60 (never exposed to solvents).
It’s formulated to be a potent free radical scavenger, helping protect the body from oxidative stress.
That said, more research on the potential benefits and risks of taking supplements is needed. Talk with your doctor to find out if supplements are right for you.
Takeaway
Though your body needs some free radicals to function, exposure to high levels through your environment and lifestyle choices can lead to oxidative stress, potentially causing damage and disease.
Ways to help defend your body against oxidative stress include exercising, sleeping enough, reducing stress, limiting alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, and eating a healthy diet high in antioxidant-rich foods.
Dr Doni highlights one of our best strategies for preventing cancer – preventing oxidative stress.
The term “oxidative stress” is mentioned all the time in the realm of science and nutrition, but it is not often clear what it means for your health. In fact research indicates that oxidative stress is an underlying cause of cancer, so understanding and preventing it is a smart strategy for your wellness.
Today, I’m going to explain what it is, give you some signs to look out for, and some simple steps you can take to prevent it.
What is Oxidative Stress?
The process of oxidation happens as our bodies metabolize (or process) the oxygen that we breathe and our cells produce energy from it. This process also produces free radicals –which interact with the molecules within our cells resulting in damage (or stress) to nearby cells, mitochondria, and DNA (our genes).
Free radicals are normal and necessary to some degree. In addition to causing some damage, they also stimulate repair. It is only when the amount of free radicals produced overwhelms the repair processes that it becomes an issue. That is what we call oxidative stress.
Oxidation happens under a number of circumstances including:
- when our cells use glucose to make energy
- when the immune system is fighting off bacteria and creating inflammation
- when our bodies detoxify pollutants, pesticides, and cigarette smoke
In fact, there are millions of processes taking place in our bodies at any one moment that can result in oxidation.
Oxidation increases when we are physically and/or emotionally stressed. And as long as you have enough anti-oxidants, a careful balance is maintained and damage is prevented.
Oxidative stress happens when the amount of free radicals exceeds the amount of antioxidants. That’s when oxidation damages our cells, proteins and our DNA (genes).
How Do You Know If You Have Oxidative Stress?
Here are a few signs to look out for:
- Fatigue
- Memory loss and/or brain fog
- Muscle and/or joint pain
- Wrinkles and grey hair
- Decreased eye sight
- Headaches and sensitivity to noise
- Susceptibility to infections
Oxidative stress has also been associated with numerous health conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, insomnia, cancer, and more. I feel so strongly about helping you address and prevent these conditions that I decided to write a whole blog series about oxidative stress covering a different condition in each article. Find that blog series here.
How to Reduce Oxidative Stress
There are two ways to reduce oxidative stress. Avoid exposure to unnecessary oxidation and increase your anti-oxidants. Let’s look at each of these in turn.
Decreasing Exposure to Oxidation
As I said at the top of this article, oxidation increases when we are exposed to stress, toxins, and infections. It is also increased by sugar and chemicals, so the more you can minimize your exposure to these things, the better.
Choosing organic foods and avoiding toxins in your environment makes a big difference. Reducing stress helps too and can be done with what I refer to as “daily stress remedies”. Here are four steps you can take to reduce unnecessary oxidation in your body.
Step 1: Avoid sugar and processed foods while balancing your blood sugar levels
When the body has to process sugar it also creates oxidation and the more sugar we eat, the more oxidation happens. Processed foods often contain sugar and/or other chemicals that also result in oxidation. Eating large and infrequent meals also creates more oxidative stress, so balancing your blood sugar by eating smaller, frequent meals, also helps. To learn more about how to avoid sugar and to balance your blood sugar, click here.
Step 2: Prevent infections
When the immune system is fighting off an infection, it ends up creating oxidation which is why, when you get sick, it drains your body of energy. I encourage you to have a strategy to avoid catching colds and infections – sign up to receive my cold/flu survival guide here, and if you have been getting frequent infections, let’s meet and come up with a plan to prevent another. You can book an appointment here.
Step 3: Allow time for daily stress remedies
It seems so simple, but it really pays off. That’s why you need to build breaks into your day – to give your body a chance to recover. Be sure to honor the breaks in your schedule (or create them) and take them as a chance to enjoy the outdoors, breathe, and re-center. These are some ideas for daily stress remedies:
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Talking with a friend
- Enjoying nature
- Journaling
- Watching a funny show
- Taking a walk.
For a helpful one-page graphic that you can print out and stick on your wall to remind you, click here. I also cover these “stress remedies” in detail in my ebook called Stress Remedies available at Amazon for 99 cents.
Step 4: Avoid toxins
Choose organic foods and avoid cigarettes, candles, hair and nail salons, carpet, exhaust fumes and plastic. Check your personal care and cleaning products for toxic ingredients and replace them with non-toxic alternatives.
Learn more about toxins in personal care products and how to avoid them here. For complete details on how to reduce your toxic exposure, be sure to check out Chapter 8 of my book The Stress Remedy.
Increasing Anti-Oxidants
No matter what you to do avoid them, you are going to be exposed to some toxins and stress, so your next step is to increase the anti-oxidants you have in your system either by helping your body make more, or by consuming them in food or supplements*.
What anti-oxidants do is block oxidation. They squelch it and make it non-harmful!
Here are the final three steps you can take to combat oxidative stress. These are all ways of increasing the anti-oxidants in your system:
Step 5: Promote the production of anti-oxidants
One of the most powerful anti-oxidants is glutathione which is produced by the body. It is made from three amino acids – glycine, glutamate, and cysteine – and it contains sulfur, which is what makes it so effective.
Eat foods that help your body to make more glutathione include:
- Asparagus
- Peaches
- Walnuts
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
You can also support your body to make more glutathione by eating foods that are high in sulfur:
- Garlic
- Onions
- Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, collards, and cabbage
- Avocados
Or you can take supplements that contain:
- N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
- Glycine
- Glutamine
- Methylfolate
- B12
- Selenium
- SAMe
- Alpha lipoic acid
These supplements have also been shown to increase and maintain glutathione:
- Vitamins C and E (they protect glutathione from being oxidized)
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Vitamin D
- Milk Thistle
It would be too much to take each of these supplements separately, so I encourage you to find a combination product. Of course it is always important for you to know your health and to choose carefully for your body, with the help of a health care provider. Here are a couple examples from companies that I trust:
Antioxidant Formula
Glutathione Recycler
Or even a high quality multivitamin containing antioxidants, such as MultiONE.
There are also supplements containing actual glutathione, which is especially helpful when your levels are low and if you have genetic SNPs that may cause your levels to become depleted. It is important to choose a product that is either sustained release (see an example here) or has non-soy, non-GMO phosphatidylcholine to increase glutathione absorption (see an example here).
Step 6: Eat foods that are high in anti-oxidants
You can add to what your body produces by eating foods that are high in anti-oxidants every day. These tend to be the foods that are the most colorful, for example:
- Beets
- Kale
- Berries
- Tomatoes
Other good sources of anti-oxidants include:
- Nuts and seeds
- Green and black tea
And herbs such as:
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Curcumin (also known as turmeric)
The more anti-oxidants you eat, the better you can counter oxidation and prevent oxidative stress.
Step 7: Take herbs that are high in anti-oxidants
Research indicates that the four leading herbal sources of anti-oxidants are:
- Green tea
- Curcumin (turmeric)
- Quercetin
- Resveratrol
Find a product with all of these herbs in one here.
Other useful antioxidants in supplements that can be taken daily, either separately or together, for ongoing support are:
You can also find many more supplements containing anti-oxidants at DrDoniStore.com in the anti-oxidant category here.
Protect Yourself From Oxidative Stress
Now you’ve got it. Protecting yourself from oxidative stress is as simple as protecting your cells by providing what your body needs and avoiding what it doesn’t need.
Knowing that we are all exposed to stress and toxins, and potentially infections, on a daily basis, choosing ways to reduce stress and increase anti-oxidants will help you prevent cancer and to live a longer, healthier life.
If you’d like one-on-one help to address oxidative stress, I encourage you to contact a naturopathic doctor. I offer a special consultation package specifically to help address oxidative stress. Read about it here.
What is your favorite way to boost protection from oxidative stress? Please do share your ideas and comments below.
–Dr Doni
2nd October 2014
*Please keep in mind that any and all supplements—nutrients, herbs, enzymes, or other—should be used with caution. My recommendation is that you seek the care of a naturopathic doctor (with a doctorate degree from a federally-accredited program) and that you have a primary care physician or practitioner whom you can contact to help you with individual dosing and protocols. If you ever experience negative symptoms after taking a product, stop taking it immediately and contact your doctor right away.
