Antioxidants, free radicals and what they mean for your skin

In short, it damages your skin in several ways: it hinders regeneration, destroys healthy cells and sets degenerative processes in motion. But when and why does this stress take over?

Which creates a particularly large number of free radicals

Free radicals are normal metabolites produced by the body itself. However, this production can be greatly accelerated by external influences. This is especially true when the body has to neutralize pollutants, for example from the air or cigarette smoke. According to the health encyclopedia, around a hundred times more free radicals are produced when you breathe in your lungs than you have in your body cells. And when the tar is detoxified, more are formed. Smoker's skin is not proverbial for nothing.

But other factors also increase the formation of free radicals. The most important are:

• UV radiation
• Psychological stress (see also: How does stress affect my skin?)
• competitive sport
• Pesticides, heavy metals, etc. that we absorb through food
• But also medication

Of course we have to eat, we want to see the sun, and if you need medication, please don't stop because of the free radicals! I certainly don't want to advise you not to exercise. Only a healthy amount is important here, so start slowly, don't overwhelm yourself and combine training with healthy nutrition - more on that below.

⚖️ Conclusion: With these factors, pay particular attention to balancing out oxidative stress with antioxidants.

So what exactly are antioxidants?

Every story needs a hero and here it's antioxidants. We enter the scene: Oxidative stress is taking over. Healthy cells and molecules are surrounded by free radicals. They are after their electrons, without which they cannot function. But here comes salvation! Antioxidants join the fray and mend the free radicals by donating their own electrons. This is de-escalation at the molecular level.

Radical scavengers separate from part of their own structure. They are constructed in such a way that this is particularly easy to do. So free radicals find easier prey in them than in, to put it bluntly, more tightly knitted molecules.

There is another special feature: While normal molecules are radicalized themselves after having stolen their electrons, antioxidants remain functional. So they also stop the destructive chain reaction.

☝️ The scavengers voluntarily share their electrons with the broken molecule and interrupt the chain reaction of oxidative stress.

Where do you get antioxidants from?

Food is a very important source of antioxidants.Many of these are vitamins, especially vitamins C and E. But they also include plant pigments such as carotenoids. Radical scavengers are therefore particularly abundant in fresh fruit and vegetables. Some berries in particular are packed with antioxidants. The blueberry has rightly earned its place as a local superfood.

Since many vitamins are destroyed during cooking, fresh, raw fruits are good suppliers. If you process them, for example into a smoothie, you shouldn't let it sit around for too long. Because some vitamins, including vitamin C, are water-soluble.

🍋 In any case, it is better to eat fresh and healthy than food supplements and vitamin tablets swallow. According to the consumer center, research assumes that the isolated active ingredients in such preparations tend to have a counterproductive effect.