Free radicals injure cells in your body every second of your lives. Molecules with weak bonds sometimes split and one portion is left with an unpaired electron pair. This is called a free radical. They are very unstable. They attempt to stabilize, as rapidly as possible, by ripping an electron off the nearest stable molecule.
The formerly stable molecule now becomes a free radical. It begins a chain reaction until a molecule can lose an electron and not become a free radical. Free radicals are also generated from the normal actions of metabolism (breathing, digestion, etc.). Environmental factors, such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke, etc., also spawn free radicals.
Antioxidants are stable with paired or unpaired electron structures. They can easily give up an electron and not become a free radical. Antioxidants attack free radicals and neutralize them. Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables, especially those containing lively colors – red, yellow, orange, purple, etc.
There are other supporters of immune health. Glutathione is one of the top, if not the top, defender of your immune system. It aggressively neutralizes free radicals continuously. It is critical to maintaining high levels of glutathione in your body at all times. Glutathione is not a supplement that we can ingest directly. It can’t travel through stomach acid intact. We can, however, eat foods with the precursors of glutathione. Examples of these precursors that will cause our bodies to create glutathione are:
● Glutamine
● Glycine
● Cysteine
● N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
● S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe)
Glutamine and glycine are non-essential amino acids and are made in our bodies. They are available in the foods we eat. Cysteine is also considered a non-essential amino acid because it is made from methionine. However, methionine is an essential amino acid and must be obtained from food.
