HAVE you ever thought about why we human beings have a longer lifespan, say up to 80 to 100 years or so, while our close relatives, the chimpanzees, live only about half of this length of time? Many biologists believe that aging results from the gradual accumulation of damaged tissues and formation of free radicals in our body. How do our cells become damaged and how do free radicals form and why should they occur more rapidly in chimpanzees than us? The answers of these questions reside in our cells and nutrition. As you know that individual elements are called atoms and these elements unite by covalent bonds to form specific larger molecules which in turn unite to form our tissues and organs. Atoms are stabilised when their shells are filled with the required number of electrons. Electron shells consist of orbitals, each of which can hold a maximum of two electrons. Thus atoms or molecules with just a single unpaired electron in their orbitals become highly unstable. They are called free radicals (FR). They may also be formed when covalent bonds are broken in such a way that each portion keeps one half of the shared electron or when an atom or molecule accepts a single electron. For example water, when excessively exposed to sunlight forms free radicals The formation of hydroxyls is probably a major reason that sunlight is so damaging for our skin and tissues. These free radicals can cause oxidation and damage the tissues and nutrients in the body, just like rust when iron is exposed to oxygen. Many health science researchers have found that FRs cause oxidation which is a central process of aging, like rusting of iron. Thus the formation of free radicals caused by oxidation is one of the main causes of aging. It was controversial by the end of the last century but it has now been accepted by scientists. Aging caused by shortening the telomeres (ends of DNA chromosomes) has also been attributed to the loss of an electron from the chemical structure of telomeres as the age advances. Any one of us attaining longer lifespan might be producing fewer free radicals or possessing a better capability for free radical destruction or is better able to repair damage that result from FR reaction. This can be noticed in some people who look younger than their actual age and vice versa. Breathing in the environments loaded with polluted particles of smoke, carbon monoxide, chemicals, smell of trash littered on roads, excessive radiation, pesticides, road side food items, etc. accelerate the formation of FR in the body. They are our main enemies in becoming healthy and younger look. Heating food in microwave also create FRs. It’s better to use an oven or stove. FRs are extremely reactive and alter the structure of any nutrient or tissues or organs that come in their way. For example, electron loss from protein molecules of a tissue renders it stiff; vitamins, hormones and enzymes dysfunctional, while loss of electron from DNA causes genetic defects which can cause defective metabolism leading to the development of even cancer, atherosclerosis (a heart disease) and other age-related diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, etc. Free radicals don’t even spare cell walls of organs and tissues which in turn loose an electron and render it into free radical forms. This is called snowball effect that can wreak havoc on healthy tissues. Nature has not left us at the mercy of free radicals. In order to fight them out it has produced several antioxidants (AO) in almost all the types of foods and fruits. They are powerful nutrients that inhibit oxidation or the rusting process of internal and external environments of our body from the negative effects of radicalised compounds. They speed up the process of repair and replacements of damaged tissues caused by free radicalised nutrient in the body and help slow down the overall effects of aging. They break the free radicals chain reactions which otherwise would generate many more harmful compounds in the body. They act like a giant boulder in the path of a snowball by stopping free radicals causing any damage. You don’t have to go to the market to buy antioxidants out of excitement. Most of them are present in your daily diet. Common antioxidants include glutathione (a kind of amino acid present in all the cells of body); vitamins A from dark green, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes rasp-and strawberries, oranges, mangoes etc. Vitamin E from nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, fish oil, egg, and vitamins C from oranges, green peppers, guava, tomatoes, strawberries, etc. They are highly beneficial in the diet because of their ability to destroy free radicals. A balanced diet containing vegetables and fruits of the season provide all the necessary antioxidants in the form of absorbable vitamins beside other important nutrients. However, anti-aging products, such as creams, are not effective for a younger look.