Good nutrition and exercise are always important, and in addition there are nutrients which will make you look younger, healthier and more vibrant. You must have heard about antioxidants and free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin causing wrinkles by activating enzymes that break down collagen. Too much exposure to sun causes wrinkles, so does a bad diet which causes silent inflammation and free radicals in

the skin. At this point it is important to understand oxidation and how it affects the skin. Oxidation is a chemical reaction which takes place in the body and even in non living things (the rusting of an iron gate is due to oxidation). In our body free radicals are produced as a result of oxidation, this is an unbalanced oxygen molecule that tries to balance itself by stealing from other cells in the body. In this process damage occurs to DNA, cell membrane and important enzymes in the cell. As this happens at cellular level it may

not be easy to imagine as to what is going on in the body. An example to make you understand is what happens to an apple when it is cut, it turns brown very quickly on exposure to oxygen and the appearance is quite ugly, imagine the damage oxidation may be causing in the body. Antioxidants stabilise the unstable free radical by giving it an electron, thus preventing the damage to cell which would have happened without this action. When this balance is disrupted, free radicals can cause a lot

The antioxidant donates an electron to the free radical’s unpaired electron.

of damage and you could suffer from a condition called ‘oxidative stress‘ due to overwhelming number of free radicals, this can leave your immune system compromised. Premature aging, Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzhiemer’s have all been linked to long term oxidative stress. You would want to know what causes these free radicals to form? There are many different processes and substances that contribute to oxidative stress, including:

• toxic chemical compounds and pollutants in your body
• hydrogenated fats
• air, water and food pollution oils heated to very high temperatures
• cigarette smoke direct or second hand
• dehydration
• too much sugar
• too much animal protein in diet
• infections
• preservatives in your food
• artificial food colouring
• plastics
• chemical cleaning supplies-alcohol
• pesticides in your food
• radiation exposure
• psychological and emotional stress

Avoiding sugar, not smoking, reducing stress and staying hydrated are active ways to protect yourself and overcome oxidative stress. Pesticides, pollution and toxins may be difficult to avoid. Fortunately there are antioxidants that can help. Antioxidants are as described earlier, molecules that have a spare electron, by donating electrons to free radicals they neutralise them and stop the process of oxidation. Getting lots of secondary antioxidants (the ones your body can’t produce on its own) through a healthy diet is the easiest way to counter the oxidative stress. Many nutritious foods are loaded with antioxidants like berries, vegetables, fish, seeds, nuts, dark chocolate and many herbs and spices like cinnamon, ginger, turmeric. Vitamin A, C, E are excellent antioxidants present in many food items and can also be taken in tablet form. Make sure your diet contains foods rich in above vitamins to maintain your skin beauty and prevent wrinkling and premature aging of skin. Two other very strong antioxidants are alpha lipoic acid and Co Q 10. It is worthwhile mentioning Omega 3 here which though not an antioxidant but is involved in low level free radicals repair and is a natural beauty solution as it strengthens your nails and prevents splitting. It also has a beneficial action on hair helping to reduce split ends and dry scalp while leaving your hair soft and shiny. Omega 3 also moisturises skin and reduces inflammation thus slowing premature skin aging. Once you have got a control on the natural beauty of your skin, you can go for cosmetic skin procedures to further beautify your skin.