One of the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, is known for his statement: “knowledge is power.” We agree with this statement, which is why we devote so much time and effort to helping YOU gain the knowledge you need to achieve greater control of your overall health.

Today we’re going to discuss two of the most common, destructive conditions that the human body is subjected to: Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

And not only are we going to explain WHAT they are (in understandable terms), but we’re going to explain the hidden link between these two conditions and provide you with some effective, doctor-proven advice as to how to avoid and treat them.

Oxidative Stress and Chronic Inflammation: The Downward Spiral

First things first, let’s discuss the basics of these two physical conditions.

Inflammation is a natural response of the human immune system to fight what the body considers to be a foreign invader. Inflammation can occur anywhere in the body, and often has visible symptoms such as pain, swelling, redness, heat, and congestion (inflammation in the sinuses).

The physiological actions of inflammation involve:

Raising the temperature of the area
Widening blood capillaries
Bringing fluid and white blood cells to kill and flush out pathogens

Inflammation is effective and healthy when it has a definite start and end, or acuteinflammation. It becomes a problem when parts of your body become inflamed and remain in that condition, at which point the inflammation becomes chronic. To make the situation worse, when your immune system starts treating healthy cells and nutrients as pathogens, you develop an autoimmune disease where your body starts attacking healthy cells.

Oxidative stressis a condition in which your body has an excess of free radicals, and they begin attacking and damaging the healthy cells and proteins. Free radicals can alter the DNA of your cells and trigger mutations, as well as creating biological conditions that lead to severe illnesses or cellular aging. Some of the many diseases and conditions linked to oxidative stress include:

Cancer
Diabetes
Rheumatoid arthritis
Heart disease
Stroke

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Here’s the kicker: The biological process of inflammation causes the production of free radicals, and oxidative stress causes inflammation. Left unchecked, these two conditions cause a synergistic downward spiral of worsening health conditions.

The Link Between Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Explained

Let’s talk science for a minute and see how exactly these two conditions relate.

One of the most important types of white blood cells in your immune system is called a macrophage. These cells primarily detect and destroy pathogens, but they also help other immune cells identify pathogens and trigger inflammation (essentially calling for backup). However, one of the byproducts of this destruction of pathogens by macrophages is the production of free radicals, including the highly toxic hydroxyl radical.

In most cases, the quantity of free radicals produced is minor, and they are easily taken care of by antioxidants in your blood (such as Vitamin C, H2, and several others).

But what about when inflammation goes on too long, and your body is already deficient in antioxidants? Yes, you guessed it, chronic inflammation leads to oxidative stress.

When free radicals are left to rampage throughout your body, several things tend to happen:

Your cells become damaged
The genetic expression of your cells is altered
Proteins throughout your blood are altered

All three forms of biological destruction in your system cause inflammation, which, again, causes the production of more free radicals.

This interrelation between oxidative stress and inflammation is one of the primary causes of disease and illness in the human body.

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How to Reduce Oxidative Stress and “Chill” Inflammation

Two of the easiest ways to reduce oxidative stress and restore a healthy balance to your body systems are:

Avoid foods and actions that trigger the production of free radicals.

Common foods and life activities that lead to an overproduction of free radicals include:

Fried foods
Foods high in preservatives
Processed carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index
Smoking
Exposure to UV radiation
Toxic chemicals
Pesticides
Air pollution

Avoiding these foods, exposures, and habits can help lower oxidative stress in your body and prevent the condition from occurring in the first place.

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Supply your body with the antioxidants it needs to combat excessive free radicals

Antioxidants can be supplied to your body through the food you eat or from supplements. Vitamin C, the polyphenols found in vegetables, Vitamin E, and many other common nutrients are effective antioxidants and can make a significant impact in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Healthline has an excellent list of foods that are high in antioxidants, which we strongly recommend.

But there is a secret weapon in the fight against oxidative stress that has recently come to the forefront of scientific research: Molecular hydrogen (H2 gas).

Molecular hydrogen is a safe, gentle, and selectiveantioxidant that targets only the most toxic and damaging free radicals – including hydroxyl.

You see, not all free radicals are bad. They are, in fact, a key factor in many healthy biological processes. They only become a real problem when there is an imbalance – and this imbalance can also go in the opposite direction. Too much antioxidant intake causes an entirely different set of physiological problems for your body systems.

Molecular hydrogen bypasses this problem entirely because it is selective. It corrects oxidative stress without causing any collateral damage. It promotes cellular homeostasis and is highly effective as a daily supplement to prevent and treat oxidative stress.

H2 Infuse is a revolutionary form of supplemental H2 gas that comes in the form of tablets that dissolve in water. A single tablet placed in 500mL of water supplies your body with roughly 8ppm of molecular hydrogen – one of the highest concentrations available.

We hope that the information in this article was useful, and here’s to YOU achieving optimal health!

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References:

Additional Information

Dr. David Minkoff

Dr. Minkoff graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1974 and was elected to the “Phi Beta Kappa” of medical schools, the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Medical Fraternity for very high academic achievement. He then worked as an attending physician in infectious disease, co-directed a neo-natal intensive care unit and worked in emergency medicine until 1995. In 1997, his interest in alternative and complementary medicine led him to open LifeWorks Wellness Center, which has become one of the foremost alternative medicine clinics in the U.S. His search to find a source of the highest quality nutritional supplements led him to establish BodyHealth in 2000, a resource that could provide doctors with the best possible supplementation and education for their patients. Today, the BodyHealth products are used by hundreds of practitioners and individual consumers who seek all-natural wellness and detoxification supplements with a demonstrated high level of quality and effectiveness. In addition to their use by patients looking to heal disease, the BodyHealth products are also used by sports enthusiasts interested in achieving and maintaining optimal performance. As a 42-time Ironman triathlon finisher, (including 8 appearances at the Ironman World Championships) Dr. Minkoff has first-hand experience to help athletes achieve optimum conditioning. His expertise in protein synthesis, detoxification, and nutrition allow them to run, swim, and bike faster and longer. Today, Dr. Minkoff is an alternative healthcare expert, guest lecturer, writer, tv and radio show guest. He also authors two weekly newsletters, the BodyHealth Fitness Newsletter and the Optimum Health Report.

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Oxidative Stress and Chronic Inflammation - The Link