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Free Radical #3
Now I'd like you to look more
closely at the world of atomic physics. Since the word
"radical" means, in part, the root of things, or the beginning of
things, it should not be surprising that there is a "free radical
causation" for disease.
In fact, many years ago Dr. Dennis
Harman announced his research findings, saying that "all
degenerative diseases" start with free radical damage to the body.
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 Dr.
Denham Harman, M.D., Ph.D., first proposed a theory of aging
in 1956, well after Dr. Asai wrote about this same phenomenon.
Dr. Harman described the indiscriminate chemical reactivity of free radicals
possibly leading to random biological damage. His idea has met
with much experimental success, and is now considered a major
theory of aging. The theory implies that antioxidants such as
vitamins E and C, which prevent free radicals from oxidizing
(removing electrons from) sensitive biological molecules, will
slow the aging process. Dr. Harman launched his theory by
showing, for the first time, that feeding a variety of
antioxidants to mammals was able to extend their life spans.
(source)
(another source) |
One important word in the box
above is "oxidizing."
The dictionary is such a wonderful
source for certainty and clarity:
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v.
ox·i·dized, ox·i·diz·ing, ox·i·diz·es
v. tr.
-
To combine with
oxygen; make into an oxide.
-
To increase the
positive charge or valence of (an element) by removing
electrons.
-
To coat with oxide.
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Source:
The
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights
reserved.
Note: In certain
cases to oxidize is identical with to acidify; for, in
nearly all cases, the more oxygen
[Karl Note: "most
cases," and "oxygen"
as used here are not helpful. To flood the body with
"good" oxygen is not the same as to have free radical
forms of oxygen flooding the body! Acidity is,
indeed, related to an excessive number of "oxygen free
radicals" in the body which is, more accurately
stated, an indication of an excessive number of
"hydrogen atoms."]
a substance contains
the more nearly does it approximate to acid qualities;
thus, by oxidation many elements, as sulphur,
nitrogen, carbon, chromium, manganese, etc., pass into
compounds which are acid anhydrides, and thus
practically in the acid state.
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Source:
Webster's Revised Unabridged
Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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Notice definition number 2.
If you "oxidize" an "atom" you "increase" the charge by "removing
electrons." This the definition to use for Dr. Asai's
purposes. Notice also, the misleading meaning of definition
#1:
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To combine with
oxygen; make into an oxide.
This misleading
definition, is "correct" in some places, but not in
relation to free radicals. This definition might
seem to include "adding oxygen to the body" which is
usually a very helpful action.
Another way of saying that is when
you "remove an electron" usually you have created a free radical --
since a "free radical" normally starts with a "normal" atom, with an
even number of electrons in the outer ring -- such as oxygen.
If something happens to remove an
electron from an atom, usually, you are left with a free radical.
This web site is a breath of fresh air in a world of pollution.
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