Oasis of Hope is a Tijuana-based medical clinic that offers a mix of alternative and conventional therapies designed to achieve recovery from cancer when past treatments have failed. One focus of Dr. Francisco Contreras and his Oasis of Hope team is on addressing free radicals, which can undermine health and accelerate aging.
As described by a University of Nebraska professor emeritus, aging occurs in tandem with oxidation. Examples of the oxidation process include a peeled apple turning brown shortly after it’s exposed to air and rust corroding metal over time. Human cells rely on oxygen as a basic source of energy, but oxidation can also harm health.
Free radicals form when oxygen molecules lose an electron. This generates energy in ways that are destabilizing, as the free electron (radical) seeks to unite with another electron stolen from a surrounding molecule. The chain electron reaction that can result is often described as “cellular chaos.” Unchecked, free radicals trigger an accelerated program of cell degeneration and disease, with effects ranging from high blood pressure to tumor growth.
The body receives significant exposure to free radicals each day, regardless of one’s lifestyle. The key is to limit their destructive capacity by avoiding nutritional and environmental factors such as pesticides, radiation, pollution, foods high in saturated fat, and physical stress. Taking these steps as part of a holistically designed program can help reduce the potential of tissue injury and cancer, while also slowing down the aging process.
As described by a University of Nebraska professor emeritus, aging occurs in tandem with oxidation. Examples of the oxidation process include a peeled apple turning brown shortly after it’s exposed to air and rust corroding metal over time. Human cells rely on oxygen as a basic source of energy, but oxidation can also harm health.
Free radicals form when oxygen molecules lose an electron. This generates energy in ways that are destabilizing, as the free electron (radical) seeks to unite with another electron stolen from a surrounding molecule. The chain electron reaction that can result is often described as “cellular chaos.” Unchecked, free radicals trigger an accelerated program of cell degeneration and disease, with effects ranging from high blood pressure to tumor growth.
The body receives significant exposure to free radicals each day, regardless of one’s lifestyle. The key is to limit their destructive capacity by avoiding nutritional and environmental factors such as pesticides, radiation, pollution, foods high in saturated fat, and physical stress. Taking these steps as part of a holistically designed program can help reduce the potential of tissue injury and cancer, while also slowing down the aging process.