The Aging Process: Cause and Prevention
The inevitable ravages inherent with the aging process are normally attributed to the work of old Father Time: daddy to the new year baby and better half to Mother Nature. However, the actual cause of those tracks left across our faces by time marching on has a more scientific basis: namely free radicals. These unstable oxygen molecules in the body are created not only by such unhealthy activities as smoking, prolonged sun exposure, and poor nutrition, but even by breathing and digestion.They are basically the by-products of daily life, created much the same way that carbon monoxide is created in the air by gasoline combustion, and therefore completely ridding the body of them is impossible.
Free radical molecules are reactive, basically meaning that as they bounce around the body they will attract, and bond to, other molecules. Once the bond is made the free radical sets about its nefarious work, which is the breaking down of the cell membrane, or the outer covering. As we age, our cells lose their ability to repair this repeated damage, and therefore our skin tone starts to diminish, we develop jowls and bags, and our skin becomes deeply lined: this is all do to the cellular damage done by the free radical, and is the ultimate cause of aging, as well as age-related diseases.
If the destructive little free radical molecules were allowed to run around unchecked, our bodies would soon be overrun with them. However, the body has its own defense against this consistent invasion: namely antioxidants. Antioxidants work with other bodily chemicals to prevent and repair the damage that free radicals do the skin. The problem, however, is that although the body has the ability to produce antioxidants, the constant production of free radicals tends to overwhelm the body's store of antioxidants.
The way to help your body even-out the balance between free radicals and antioxidants, and consequently to aid in fighting the aging process, is by improving your dietary habits by eating more antioxidant-rich foods, and by using oral and topical antioxidant supplements. Many powerful antioxidants can be found in healthy foods like fish, cantaloupe, and broccoli. As an added benefit, a diet rich in antioxidants will improve your general health, as well as the health of your teeth and gums. Since antioxidants can be found in most multivitamins, flying under names like vitamin E, vitamin C, coenzyme Q10, beta-carotene, alpha lipoic acid, and others, it is good to get into the habit of taking a good multivitamin every day. If your stomach tends to disagree with vitamins, try breaking the caplet in half and take one-half in the morning and the second half later in the day. This will also help your body to use up all of the vitamin's benefits, rather than getting rid of most of it through the urinary tract. As a topical supplement, choose a lotion appropriate for your skin type containing vitamin C ester. This fat-soluble topical antioxidant will help stimulate the growth of collagen and elastin in the skin, which will lead to smoother, younger looking skin.
What was once believed to be the inevitable ravages of old Father Time are actually the very preventable and reversible effects of the consistently nefarious free radical, without doubt the major destructor of young-looking skin. Resulting as a by-product of daily life and attaching themselves to healthy cells, they cause them to break down, giving the skin the wrinkled and pallid appearance characteristic of advanced age. However, with a healthy skin care regimen consisting of an antioxidant-rich diet supplemented by vitamins and topical ointments, you can fend off the dreaded free radical and help keep your face looking a little less like Father Time and a little more like the Baby New Year.
Copyright © 2007 Davi Dietz - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the ArticleClick terms of service for Publishers.
Davi Dietz is a freelance journalist, ad copy writer, and research writer. Read more work by Davi Dietz on Skin Care at http://www.face-facts.net
Article Source: http://www.articleclick.com
Free radical molecules are reactive, basically meaning that as they bounce around the body they will attract, and bond to, other molecules. Once the bond is made the free radical sets about its nefarious work, which is the breaking down of the cell membrane, or the outer covering. As we age, our cells lose their ability to repair this repeated damage, and therefore our skin tone starts to diminish, we develop jowls and bags, and our skin becomes deeply lined: this is all do to the cellular damage done by the free radical, and is the ultimate cause of aging, as well as age-related diseases.
If the destructive little free radical molecules were allowed to run around unchecked, our bodies would soon be overrun with them. However, the body has its own defense against this consistent invasion: namely antioxidants. Antioxidants work with other bodily chemicals to prevent and repair the damage that free radicals do the skin. The problem, however, is that although the body has the ability to produce antioxidants, the constant production of free radicals tends to overwhelm the body's store of antioxidants.
The way to help your body even-out the balance between free radicals and antioxidants, and consequently to aid in fighting the aging process, is by improving your dietary habits by eating more antioxidant-rich foods, and by using oral and topical antioxidant supplements. Many powerful antioxidants can be found in healthy foods like fish, cantaloupe, and broccoli. As an added benefit, a diet rich in antioxidants will improve your general health, as well as the health of your teeth and gums. Since antioxidants can be found in most multivitamins, flying under names like vitamin E, vitamin C, coenzyme Q10, beta-carotene, alpha lipoic acid, and others, it is good to get into the habit of taking a good multivitamin every day. If your stomach tends to disagree with vitamins, try breaking the caplet in half and take one-half in the morning and the second half later in the day. This will also help your body to use up all of the vitamin's benefits, rather than getting rid of most of it through the urinary tract. As a topical supplement, choose a lotion appropriate for your skin type containing vitamin C ester. This fat-soluble topical antioxidant will help stimulate the growth of collagen and elastin in the skin, which will lead to smoother, younger looking skin.
What was once believed to be the inevitable ravages of old Father Time are actually the very preventable and reversible effects of the consistently nefarious free radical, without doubt the major destructor of young-looking skin. Resulting as a by-product of daily life and attaching themselves to healthy cells, they cause them to break down, giving the skin the wrinkled and pallid appearance characteristic of advanced age. However, with a healthy skin care regimen consisting of an antioxidant-rich diet supplemented by vitamins and topical ointments, you can fend off the dreaded free radical and help keep your face looking a little less like Father Time and a little more like the Baby New Year.
Copyright © 2007 Davi Dietz - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the ArticleClick terms of service for Publishers.
Davi Dietz is a freelance journalist, ad copy writer, and research writer. Read more work by Davi Dietz on Skin Care at http://www.face-facts.net
Article Source: http://www.articleclick.com
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