They may react with the membranes of cells that are essentially innocent bystanders, damaging some of the molecules in those otherwise healthy cells. If the healthy cells membranes are damaged enough, the cells may be killed or maimed. If there are antioxidants in the neighborhood during this reaction, less damage may occur. Some antioxidants , such as vitamin E , act as shields. They are incorporated into cell membranes and can give up one of their own electrons, thus neutralizing a free radical and making it settle down rather than hunting for other electrons.
Vitamin C can collaborate in neutralizing free radicals.
If vitamin C is available to give vitamin E one of its electrons, vitamin E can put the damper on free radical activity. It actually travels through the cell membrane, and each molecule of vitamin E can protect about 1,000 molecules in the membrane, Dr. Traber says. Some kinds of arthritis have a clear link with inflammatory bowel disease. These links, as well as other clues, have suggested to doctors of alternative medicine that digestive problems can play a role in rheumatoid arthritis. Here s where the leaky gut theory comes in.