This sets the stage for premature aging and degenerative diseases which plague our population today. Chemically, free radicals are molecule fragments that are searching for a mate with which to bond. Our bodies normally produce a small, constant supply of free radicals during metabolic processes. Some free radicals involve themselves in our immune defense system to destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. However, it is their excess production that destroys and ages our normal cells, the very foundation of life itself.
Scientists consider free radicals to be the geatest contributing factor to aging.
By destroying cells and mutating DNA, they cause cummulative damage leading to numerous degenerative diseases and premature aging. This explains why senility and other conditions of the central nervous system plague many of our elderly. Since the physical basis of life exists on the cellular level, antioxidants play a major role in maintaining health and youthful vigor by preserving the integrity of individual cells which make up the whole body. In addition, the body itself produces certain amounts of other potent antioxidants, including melatonin, CoQl0 and glutathione. However, their production declines with age.