Is your body getting rusty with age?
BY Jonny Bowden, Ph.D.
Simple steps you can take to help support a healthy response to free radicals
While you may not know the term “free radicals,”, you’ve seen the damage that they cause. Cut open an apple and leave it on the counter for a few minutes. It will turn it brown. That’s free radical damage. “In the body, an imbalance of free radicals can damage healthy cells. It’s kind of a “rusting from within.” And this process is a major part of aging and just about every degenerative disease you can imagine,” explains health and nutrition expert Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS.
Some free radicals are produced by our own
Is your body getting rusty with age?
BY Jonny Bowden, Ph.D.
Simple steps you can take to help support a healthy response to free radicals
and are necessary for our bodies to function properly. “But the damage caused by an overabundance of free radicals is cumulative. That can result from what we eat, from our environment, and from physical stress,” cautions Bowden. “As we age, our bodies are less effective at neutralizing the damaging effects of free radicals.”
Bowden outlines three simple steps to help your body rid itself of excess free radicals:
- Reduce your exposure to things that are toxic. “These include cigarettes, chemicals, and pollution. Alcohol and fried foods are also known as potent sources of free radicals. Open your windows if you’re using household cleaners. Face away from the nozzle as you’re pumping gas. Instead of French fries and fried shrimp, load your plate with antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, dark chocolate, nuts, beans, and leafy vegetables.”
- Replenish your glutathione levels. “Antioxidants are literally compounds that act to mitigate the damage caused by free radicals. And glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant.
Glutathione mops up free radicals. The body makes glutathione on its own, but as we age the process becomes less efficient. We can’t get enough glutathione through diet or glutathione supplements to make a difference. Thankfully science is always evolving, and now there’s a safe way to prompt your body to make more. Glyteine, available in Continual-G products, works as a molecular signal that tells the body to start producing more glutathione. In a couple of hours, you’ll have more glutathione in your cells, which is exactly where it’s needed.”
- Sleep! “A lot of really important things happen when you sleep. If you deprive your body of sleep, bad things happen. It turns out that one of the major things that happen during sleep is the repair of oxidative damage. Even the most powerful antioxidants on the planet won’t be put to full use if you’re not getting enough sleep. That’s why it’s especially important right now to keep a consistent sleep schedule, avoid taking long naps if you’re at home, and don’t overindulge on caffeine and alcohol particularly just before bedtime.”
Bowden concluded, “These simple steps may have a profound effect not only on the quality of your life today but also on the quality of your life in the years ahead. And what better gift can you give yourself than a long, happy, and healthy life?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS, also known as “The Nutrition Myth Buster” ™ is a nationally known board-certified nutritionist and expert on diet and weight loss. He has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS as an expert on nutrition has contributed to articles in The New York Times, Forbes, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Vanity Fair Online, Men’s Health, Prevention, and dozens of other print and online publications.
Dr. Jonny is the best-selling author of 15 books including The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Living Low Carb (now in its fourth edition), Smart Fat (with Steven Masley, MD), and The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer.
The eagerly awaited and completely updated edition of his best-selling book, The Great Cholesterol Myth (co-written with cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, MD) will be out in October 2020.
Follow him @jonnybowden
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