Breathe and you inhale them. Sip water and they slyly enter your throat. Jog along a mountain trail and your muscles pump them into your bloodstream with every step. They’re free radicals – and they are everywhere. You know you should be fighting back – but against what, exactly? What are free radicals, anyway?
Technically, free radicals are atoms or molecules with one or more unpaired electron in their outer shells. Unpaired electrons grow lonely and long for a lasting connection. They search for that connection in every molecule, atom and ion they meet and they don’t always respect the preexisting partnerships they might ruin along the way. Many free radicals are highly reactive, meaning they can easily change and break chemical bonds.
Free radicals are part of the process of oxidation, which can damage cell walls, healthy fats and even DNA. The results aren’t pretty. Oxidation is thought to cause everything from wrinkles to cancer. It’s no wonder we look for as many ways as we can to fight back. Luckily, there are plenty of weapons to choose from and they come in the form of antioxidants, another term you’ve heard before.
Antioxidants stop molecules from oxidation by jumping in and taking the bullet themselves. These chemical saviors can be found in nature and with the right know-how, their powers can be harnessed for good. Take acai berries, for example. These tiny purple berries are packed with antioxidants and by ingesting them you can help deliver the antioxidants to your cells.
Beauty treatments supply antioxidants to the areas where they’re needed the most. A nourishing facial that includes citrus antioxidants will keep you fresh-faced as you battle back against free radical damage. A moisture revival spa bath will deliver the antioxidant power of lavender to every inch of your skin. Looking to wage war against free radicals every day, even if you can’t make it to the spa? Try at-home treatments like H2V G10 that uses acai extracts to fight the signs of aging.
Free radicals are all around us and they aren’t going away anytime soon. But the good news is that we can fight back with a diet of healthy foods and a regimen of antioxidant-rich beauty treatments. Remember, the battle isn’t over unless you stop fighting – so march on, gorgeous readers, show them who’s boss!
