What is the Impact of Oxidative Stress on the Human Body?

• Written by Mudit Handa

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In today’s age of busting life, living a healthy and enriched life seems next to impossible. With high levels of stress and lifestyle-related health problems, people are experiencing their age before it happens. But as the saying goes—

“To lower your body's age you need to stay supple.” 

One needs to create an ideal balance between work and life. The disruption of work-life balance has led to several health issues that develop into chronic illnesses. One such serious health condition is oxidative stress. 

This article will shed light on the problem of oxidative stress and how to cope with the oxidative stress symptoms to avoid lifestyle diseases.

What is Oxidative Stress? 

Oxidative stress refers to a condition of imbalance in the body caused due to excess of free radicals compared to the antioxidants. To understand better, you must first know what antioxidants and free radicals are.

• Antioxidants: These are the compounds released from the food we consume that scavenge and neutralise the function of free radicals. They prevent oxygen consumption and stop oxidation reactions that lead to cell damage.
• Free Radicals: Free radicals are harmful unstable molecules that get released from various food items we consume during cell metabolism. These molecules help perform certain metabolic functions such as excretion. However, above a certain limit, the free radicals can wreak havoc on your cells. When they exceed antioxidant levels, they rapidly increase oxidation, leading to a wide range of health problems. 

A balance between antioxidants and free radicals is needed to reduce the harmful reaction of free radicals; otherwise, your body cells start decaying quickly. Rapid cell damage due to harmful free radicals is a key factor in many chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, premature ageing, and a decrease in lifespan.

What is the Cause of Oxidative Stress?

The causes of oxidative stress can be internal and external factors. Internal factors may include the following:

• Inflammation 
• Building up of free radicals like superoxide, hydroxyl and nitric oxide radicals;

External factors of oxidative stress include: 

• Exposure to harmful UV radiation 
• Smoking
• Deficiency of Nutrients like Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, and Vitamins A, C and E due to lack of a wholesome diet
• Air pollution
• Consumption of contaminated water 
• Pesticides intake (from impure water and inorganically grown vegetables)

Above mentioned factors gradually increase the harmful effects of free radicals. Additionally, following a sedentary lifestyle accelerates the oxidation process and speeds up cell damage, paving way for more lifestyle related diseases.   

How Does Oxidative Stress Impact the Human Body?

Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. This imbalance can lead to several negative health effects, including: 

• Cell damage: Free radicals can damage cells by attacking their membranes, proteins, and DNA. This damage can lead to premature ageing, inflammatio-n, and an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
• Inflammation: Oxidative stress can trigger inflammation, a natural response to injury or infection. However, chronic inflammation can damage tissues and contribute to the development of chronic diseases.
• Weak Immunity: Oxidative stress can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and diseases.
• Fatigue: Oxidative stress can cause fatigue and lethargy, decreasing energy levels.
• Loss of Appetite: Decreased levels of energy lead to loss of appetite, and this further accelerates the stress build-up.
• Lack of Desire: An obvious impact of oxidative stress is loss of stamina, vigour & vitality. This can cause various sexual problems like ED and PE.

Overall, oxidative stress can have a detrimental impact on the human body. By understanding its causes and effects, you can take steps to reduce your risk and protect your health.

Is there any Specific Oxidative Stress Treatment?

No. There is no treatment procedure or medication that can lower your oxidative stress. This is an adverse health condition triggered by lack of nutrition and unhealthy lifestyle. Oxidative stress can be managed by following a healthy lifestyle.

How to Reduce Oxidative Stress?

The only way to reduce oxidative stress is to introduce healthy lifestyle changes that include:

• A Wholesome Diet: You should focus on a diet rich in antioxidants. Ideally, you must consume citrus fruits, leafy greens, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Besides, you must not ignore milk and dairy products.
• Regular Exercise: Routine physical activity is a natural way to boost the body's natural antioxidant defences and balance harmful free radicals.
• Stress Management: As chronic stress contributes to oxidative stress, managing stress through meditation or yoga is essential.
• Eliminate Environmental Toxins: Though you can’t limit your exposure to air pollutants, you must undoubtedly abstain from smoking and take excessive sunlight in the morning hours.
• Green Tea: This is indeed a powerhouse of antioxidants. Green tea is rich in an antioxidant called catechins that boost metabolism and slow oxidative stress. However, you must not consume more than 3 cups of green tea a day.
• Supplements & Nutraceuticals: Additionally, you can take nutrient supplements to increase antioxidants, like vitamin C or E. However, you must consume them only after consulting with a healthcare professional.

>>Read More: Check Out This Miracle Mineral for Stress Relief and Sleep

Which Foods Can Reduce Oxidative Stress?

Consuming a diet rich in antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress. Hence, you must include the following foods in your diet:

• Juicy Fruits: Berries, citrus and other colourful fruits are rich in antioxidants.
• Vegetables: Leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, and other vegetables provide essential antioxidants.
• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, and other nuts are good sources of antioxidants.
• Whole Grains: Whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice offer additional antioxidant benefits.
• Eggs: Research by the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, has revealed that adding eggs to a plant-based diet can lower oxidative stress and cure metabolic syndrome (MetS). Further, healthy eggs can reduce oxidative stress in athletes.
• Lean Meats: Meat cuts with lower fat content contain selenium and manganese which are essential antioxidants for cell metabolism and immunity.
• Seafood: Marine foods like fish, crabs, and prawns contain zinc, a powerful antioxidant that slows ageing.

However, it’s important to consume eggs, meat, and seafood in moderation. Excess consumption can lead to oxidative stress-related diseases.

These are some healthy lifestyle and dietary habits that can reduce oxidative stress symptoms and prevent chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

Apart from reducing oxidative stress, it is equally important to manage mental stress that may occur due to a medical emergency. The best way to do so is—

Manage your Medical Expenses with Complete Health Coverage

In today’s time, it's unimaginable to cope with medical costs if a health emergency arises, given the uncontrolled inflation. The only way to stay assured is to have adequate health coverage for major critical diseases such as heart ailments or cancer. Hence, you must buy a suitable health insurance plan for critical illnesses, such as the Care Critical Mediclaim Plan, which guarantees comprehensive coverage of 32 critical illnesses. So, with due concern for your physical and financial health, you should get yourself and your family covered for critical illnesses today itself and live a stress-free life.

Disclaimer: It is essential to verify the policy details and coverage with the official policy documents. Also, kindly consult a professional medical expert to verify the details of health concerns.