Oxidative stress describes the state of the body in which the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including free radicals, overwhelms the body's antioxidant defences.
Our body tries to maintain a constant balance between free radicals and antioxidants. Free radicals arising from metabolism, disease, exercise, and environmental factors like smoking, pollution, UV rays are being neutrilised by the antioxidants (mainly glutathion) in our cells.
The presence of too many ROS/free radicals leads to oxidative damage to the molecules in our cells including lipids, proteins and DNA, and this in turn can distroy cell function. In this situation our body is under, what is called, Oxidative Stress.
Oxidative stress leads to loss in cell function and to cell death, and contributes to loss in organ function.
This process leads to the development of chronic diseases and exacerbates existing conditions.
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