Free Radicals: Agents of Aging

© 2003-2010 Dale H. Peterson, M.D.

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The year was 1934. In the midst of an afternoon of “rock hounding” one member of the party spotted what appeared to be a wooden handle protruding from a rock. Intrigued, he picked up the rock, took it home and split it carefully. What appeared inside was something totally unexpected – a carefully crafted artisan’s hammer.

The hammerhead had a brownish appearance, the result of the millennia it had spent inside the rock. Curious as to the composition of the metal its new owner drew a file across the surface revealing a bright silver gleam. Subsequent analysis revealed that the hammer was made of iron. Amazingly, the file mark has not rusted or tarnished after being exposed to the atmosphere for more than 60 years.

The reason that the file mark has not rusted is that the iron is bound to chloride, a combination that is not normally seen. An iron-chloride bond violates the laws of chemistry as we know them.

Because our atmosphere contains highly reactive species of oxygen molecules, metals “oxidize” or bind with oxygen much faster than with competing ions such as chloride. The only condition under which such a hammer could be manufactured would be in an environment void of unbalanced oxygen molecules commonly referred to as free radicals.

Free radicals are formed when atmospheric oxygen is exposed to ultraviolet light. Since this is an ongoing process free radicals are always present and eager to bind with other substances such as iron. Iron heated in an environment in which free radicals did not exist, however, would bind to chloride when dipped in salt water to cool.

Many reputable scientists believe that such conditions once existed on earth. They point to evidence that suggests the earth was originally surrounded by a canopy of ice crystals supported by a sphere of metallic hydrogen.

Such a canopy would have shielded the earth from the ultraviolet radiation that creates oxygen free radicals. It would have created conditions that would explain the presence of lush forests in Siberia and Antarctica, which are known to have existed in the past. It would explain the finding that the earth’s atmospheric pressure was higher in the past, and it would have supported an ecosystem in which plants would grow to many times their current size and giant reptiles could survive and roam the earth.

The observation that oxygen free radicals did not exist in the earth’s original atmosphere has profound implications regarding illness and wellness. This one fact is sufficient to give credibility to the extremely long life spans recorded in the Bible and other ancient documents. When the changes in the earth’s atmosphere in the past are considered, the wonder is not that men and women once lived to what, by our standards, are extremely old ages. The wonder is that we can survive at all in the hostile environment in which we find ourselves.

Each time we take a breath we flood our system with oxygen free radicals. It is postulated that each cell in our body is attacked by a free radical 10,000 times a day. The effects of these attacks are readily visible.

Red blood cells, unlike most cells in our body, continually circulate. A red blood cell has an expected life span of 120 days. It begins its life with a smooth round disk, slightly narrower in the center than near the edge. Over time, free radical attacks damage the cell membrane. The cell does its best to repair the damage but over time its shape is dramatically altered. Older red blood cells often appear less like disks than helmets, Pac-men, and jigsaw puzzle pieces.

The original shape of a red blood cell is designed to maximize the uptake and release of oxygen. As the surface is eaten away the ability of the cell to release oxygen to the tissues of the body is dramatically reduced and vitality suffers.

Many Americans are convinced that they have “bad” cholesterol circulating through their arteries causing arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) leading to strokes and heart attacks. This is simply not true. The body’s design is perfect. God did not make mistakes. He did not place harmful substances within the human body.

LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol is not only harmless in its native state, it is absolutely essential to good health. When a molecule of LDL cholesterol is attacked by a free radical, however, its appearance is altered and the body no longer recognizes it. A specialized white blood cell called a macrophage goes into action and pulls the oxidized LDL cholesterol out of circulation and into the wall of an artery forming the first stage of an atherosclerotic plaque.

Free radical damage in the brain is now believed to be a major factor in degenerative neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. One of the major foci of neurological research in recent years has been the development of medications that are designed to slow the rate of free radical damage.

Free radical damage has been implicated in the development of most chronic degenerative diseases. Free radical damage is considered by many to be one of the key factors in determining the rate of aging. It is difficult to overestimate the role free radicals play in the emergence of disease and aging.

Fortunately, each of us has within us a carefully and wonderfully designed anti-oxidant defense system. We simply need to provide appropriate nutrients to allow it to function properly.

Well over 100 nutrients are needed to allow the body to function properly. Very few can be obtained in optimum amounts through diet alone. Some nutrients are known to play key roles in the body’s antioxidant defense, but I believe that many others support the process in ways that are not yet understood.

I recommend two distinct types of antioxidant supplementation. The first is broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral support. Many people come to me reporting that they are taking vitamin E or vitamin C. Several report taking a preparation of vitamins B-6, B-12 and folate. These supplements provide some degree of protection, but such regimens fall far short of optimum support.

Vitamin and mineral regimens should include vitamins A, B, C, D, E, & K and all major and trace minerals. Optimum levels of the major antioxidant nutrients would be 20,000 to 25,000 IU of vitamin A, some of which may be in the form of beta or mixed carotinoids, 400 IU of vitamin E, 1000 mg. of vitamin C and 150 mcg of selenium.

Do not rely solely upon a supplement advertised as an “Antioxidant Formulation” containing A, C, E and selenium, however. While these nutrients support specific aspects of the body’s antioxidant defense mechanism nearly all vitamins and minerals play a role. B vitamins, Vitamin D, and even vitamin K are now known to function as antioxidants in the body in addition to performing their primary activity.

The second level of antioxidant protection is obtained from plant nutrients called phytochemicals. Green plants such as barley grass or wheat grass provide an excellent level of antioxidant protection. Oligoproanthocyanidins (OPCs) like grape seed extract or pycnogenol have been referred to as “super-antioxidants” in part because they help to carry vitamins like C and E into the tissues of the brain and spinal cord where they are needed.

While it is not possible to live in a chamber isolated from free radicals, it is possible to effectively counter their attacks. It is possible to keep our LDL cholesterol in its natural state and in so doing prevent the formation of new atherosclerotic plaques. It is possible to prevent cellular damage, and in so doing avoid or at a minimum slow the progression of the degenerative processes that are commonly thought to be a natural consequence of aging.

Consultation with a physician knowledgeable in diagnosis and treatment of disease should be obtained and the use of any protocol should be discussed in the context of a complete management plan.

The opinions expressed are those of Dr. Peterson and have not been evaluated by the FDA or any other third party. They do not necessarily reflect the recommendations of any supplier of nutritional supplements.

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