When it comes to free radicals, we must apply some basic chemistry. But to keep it simple, let’s just say a free radical is an atom/molecule with an unpaired electron which makes it unstable and therefore it wants to connect with other molecules /atoms. The connection happens when it steals their electrons which causes damage to our cells and this damage can cause illness and disease. Free radicals are produced naturally in our body as a byproduct of our metabolism processes and science has shown that our lifestyle is the key factor to keeping their numbers low. The production of free radicals can be accelerated by exposure to pesticide/herbicides, other toxic chemicals, X-rays, smoking, ozone, alcohol, radiation, pharmaceuticals, cooking oil, processed meat, red meat, deep fried food, sugar, junk and processed food. Besides illness and disease, they are also linked to ageing and wrinkles.
The body normally has a natural defence system that has the capacity to eliminate the excess buildup of these free radicals every day, but when the body loses this capacity, they start to accumulate, resulting in a process that is called oxidative stress. This free radical theory exposing the damage caused in the body, was first discovered in 1950’s by Denham Harman. As our body ages, it loses its ability to fight the effects of free radicals, resulting in more free radicals, more oxidative stress, and more damage to cells. All of this leads to degenerative processes, as well as “normal” aging. Keeping free radicals in balance is the job of the antioxidants.
What is Oxidative Stress?
Oxidative stress is therefore a condition which can lead to or accelerate the progress of illness and disease. It occurs due to an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Generally, the body is able to maintain a balance between antioxidants and free radicals. The body’s natural immune response can also trigger oxidative stress temporarily and this type of oxidative stress causes mild inflammation that goes away after the immune system has done its job, fighting off an infection or repairing an injury. Uncontrolled oxidative stress can speed up the aging process and is linked to the development of a number of conditions.
What is the Redox Index?
The Redox Index is therefore an indicator that measures the balance between free radicals and antioxidants and the body’s capacity to clear free radicals. Today we have medical units that test free radical concentration in the body (Free-Oxygen-Radical-Test FORT) and the body’s antioxidants (Free-Oxygen-Radical-Defence= FORD) and calculates the Index showing how much the body is suffering from any im-balance in this system.
Oxidative Stress and Redox Balance
The marker of Health, Vitality and Wellbeing or the indicator of illness like Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer or Dementia?
Two recent studies in Australia point out the benefits of testing Oxidative Stress and Redox balance. Here are some of their points and conclusions:
- Oxidative Stress is linked to cell damage leading to non communicable diseases (NCD’s). The most common NCD’s include cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma), degenerative dementia and diabetes.
- Testing regularly is a great tool for early detection before irreversible cell damage occurs.
- Testing offers the possibility to change lifestyle habits that drive the body into disease
- Oxidative Stress and Redox Balance are a tool to determine early onsets before even routine pathology shows them.
- Acknowledging Oxidative Stress as a primary driver can be used to address lifestyle behaviours and therefore reduce the risk of NCD’s
- Findings from this study suggest that a relatively simple measure of redox balance such as the FORD/FORT ratio may be a sensitive indicator of redox stress, and therefore serve as a useful biomarker for assessing an individual’s specific non-communicable disease risk linked to unhealthy lifestyle practices.
- These tests can be used to monitor our oxidative activity, to support with early identification of patients being at risk of Cardiovascular and other disease.
- Total Health uses CR3000, the same unit used in the studies.
- Testing regularly every 6 – 12 months (depending on what is needed) supports patients to take stock of their physical health and can be used to take steps needed to improve or maintain health.
See the new data on the use of the CR3000 FORT AND FORD tests by researchers from The University of NSW School of Medical Science, Australasian Research Institute, University of Sydney and Macquarie University which has recently been published.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0187713
A new paper has been published by the School of Medical Science, University of NSW, looking at FORD/FORT ratios and their association with subclinical changes in carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) that will gradually lead to the tissue remodeling associated with CVD.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2018/4504079/
Some more points from this research points out:
- Oxidative stress (OS) has been closely linked to the progressive cell damage associated with emerging non-communicable disease (NCDs).
- Early detection of these biochemical abnormalities before irreversible cell damage occurs may therefore be useful in identifying disease risk at an individual level.
- If an unhealthy lifestyle persists, the resulting biochemical adaptation will, over a period of time, drive the body to a state of disease.
- Often not picked up by routine pathology, such as cholesterol and glucose measurements, this chronic, subclinical disease process may be detected via changes in the redox balance.
- If Oxidative Stress is a primary driver, the incidence of NCDs may arguably be reduced if it can be determined whether or not a state of redox imbalance or chronic OS exists as a consequence of an individual’s lifestyle behaviours.
- Findings from this study suggest that a relatively simple measure of redox balance such as the FORD/FORT ratio may be a sensitive indicator of redox stress, and therefore serve as a useful biomarker for assessing an individual’s specific non-communicable disease risk linked to unhealthy lifestyle practices.
To learn more about the levels of Oxidative stress in your body, a health test may ease any concerns you have or provide you with the tools to prevent them from developing further, so consider booking a Naturopathic health check with testing:
https://total-health.com.au/services/naturopathic-health-check-health-testing
