What Lassie & Tabby need to know about....Free Radicals
By: Tippy & Alfred
Information about Free Radicals, Antioxidant Supplements & Your Pets
Many medical and scientific researchers have become increasingly concerned
that the presence of uncontrolled free radicals in the body is the direct
cause of a number of health problems so notably on the increase.
The startling fact that almost no one has understood until now is that
along with the health-building processes we have going on within our bodies,
(and our pet's bodies), we also have millions of potentially deadly weapons
within the cells and fluids inside our bodies.
These molecules which have come to be known as free radicals and which are
making us and our pets sick, cause us to age, and eventually kill us.
What in the World as, a Free Radical?
Simply stated, a free radical is an atom or molecule with an unpaired
electron.
Unpaired electrons make for very unstable, highly reactive atoms and/or
molecules. Paired electrons, by the way of contrast, are in a far more stable
state.
A charged atom (or group of atoms) is properly referred to as an ion. A
free radical is a species bearing an unpaired electron. Free radicals have no
charge; they are electrically neutral.
Researcher and writer Michael Dye explains it this way:
"This is a very hazardous, unnatural and unstable state, because
electrons normally come in pairs.
This odd, unpaired electron in a free radical causes it to collide with
other molecules so it can steal an electron from them, which changes the
structure of these other molecules and causes them to also become free
radicals.
This can create a self-perpetuating chain reaction in which the structure
of millions of molecules are altered in a matter of nanoseconds( a nanosecond
is a billionth of a second) reeking havoc with our DNA, protein molecules,
enzymes and cells."
There is an ongoing, potentially deadly battle which is being waged in our
bodies every second of our lives, in which billions of free radicals are out
to destroy our cells and alter our genetic material.
According to Dr. Carroll E. Cross (University of California, Davis School
of Medicine, Davis, California), free radicals are "capable of reversibly
or irreversibly damaging compounds of all biochemical classes, including
nucleic acids, protein and free amino acids, lipids and lipoproteins,
carbohydrates, and connective tissue macromolecules.
These species may also have an impact on such cell activities as membrane
function, metabolism, and gene expression." It is now recognized that
free radicals are contributing causes to more than 60 diseases.
Specifically, what happens with Free Radicals
in your Pet's Body?
Simplistically, when a free radical enters the body and the immune system
is not functioning optimally, three things can occur.
1. Should the free radical attack a cell membrane, allergies can occur.
2. Should the molecule attack the fat globule that nourishes the cell, the
cell dies. This is associated with aging and rheumatoid arthritis.
3. Should the free radical attack the nucleus of the cell, which has the
reproductive map of the cell (DNA) cancer can develop.
Immunodeficiency combined with a weak antioxidant defense system are a
primary cause of illness. Since the animal's body is constantly bombarded by
free radicals it is virtually impossible for the antioxidant defense system to
be consistently at peak performance.
Where do Free Radicals come from?
These free-radicals get into our bodies:
From within, as the natural by-products of ongoing biochemical reactions
occurring in normal metabolic functions, in the detoxification process and in
the immune system defense.
From without, free radicals (better yet free radical generating
substances) can be found in the food we eat, in our water supplies (especially
after chemicals and pollutants have entered into them), drugs and medicines we
ingest, and the air we breath.
Our environment contributes immensely to the spread of free radicals, as do
processes like drugs, radiation, pesticides, air pollutants, solvents, fried
foods, alcohol, tobacco smoke, etc.--- things most of us are exposed to all
the time.
Anti-oxidants
Free radical scavengers (anti-oxidants) are key elements in the defense
system which the body uses in order to neutralize the activity of these
dangerous and, over the long-term, deadly free radical enemies.
Vitamin E, Vitamin C, beta-Carotene and Selenium, among their other
nutritional benefits, have strong anti-oxidant properties.
How Anti-oxidants work to Protect
Antioxidants work primarily by donating or "sacrificing" an
electron to the free-radical, which then becomes paired with the formerly
unpaired electron, thereby stabilizing the free-radical.
As the pollutants increase in our environment, and by feeding nutritionally
inferior foods to our pets, it becomes imperative to provide our pets with
anti-oxidant supplements that will help strengthen the immune system and
neutralize free radicals.
This is one of the best ways we can help protect our pets from degenerative
diseases and accelerated aging.
Tippy & Alfred recommend only One brand of
Antioxidant supplement to Protect your Companion:
Our Dog &
Cat Antioxidant Solutions
Why should your Dog or Cat take an Antioxidant Supplement?
Revitalize your pet’s energy and mobility while you protect them from the
effects of free-radical damage. This amazing wafer formula supports pets with
suppressed immune systems, tissue injury, arthritis, joint inflammation
and pets recovering from surgery.
See also:
More Tips on Pet Care
