Oxidative stress is caused by the presence of any of a number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which the cell is unable to counterbalance. These reactive oxygen species are toxic to the body(2).The result is damage to one or more biomolecules including DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the natural aging process as well as a variety of disease states.

Our environment surrounds us and can contribute to our health, or to disease. Oxidative stresses from our environment can be in the form of ozone (smog), toxic chemicals in the air, EMF (cell phones, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays) and more (1).

Our nutrition plays a major role in dealing with oxidative stress. Some Foods provide essential nutrients to protect us from oxidative stress. The antioxidants Vitamin C and E are two key players. Super antioxidants in berries, grapes, Chaga mushrooms are all beneficial. More important, the body needs specific nutrition to fuel the master antioxidant in the body. Some foods actually use up the good nutrition. Unfortunately, our food today has less nutrition than it used to provide.

Oxidative stress can also be caused by our lifestyles and attitudes. When we are physically and emotionally stressed out, our body goes into a mode that contributes to oxidative stress. This results in shallow breathing, increased metabolic stressors and rapid consumption of the factors that protect us from oxidative stress.

Imagine your cells rotting away like a handful of screws left out in the weather! Most illnesses today are thought to be the result of oxidative stressors, and research is proving this more every day. Basically an illness either causes oxidative stress, or oxidative stress can result in an illness. If you can think of an illness, oxidative stress most likely plays a key role in either the cause or the effects of the illness! The relationship of oxidative stress appears to be the link between illnesses. For example, oxidative stress appears to be the common link between obesity, diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders(2) and even cancer!

It is becoming more important to avoid the stressors in our lives that contribute to oxidative stress. We supplement with vitamins everyday, what about food for our immune system? A diet rich in antioxidants is one obvious way to sustain the ability to reduce oxidative stress. However, our diets are typically no longer high in the nutrition necessary for the body to make its' own Master Antioxidant, and without this endogenous Master antioxidant, the exogenous antioxidants we consume are insufficient to stave off the ravages of oxidative stress as we age.

1. Glutathione: Your Key to Health
   http://www.asihw.com/products/details/3/glutathione-your-key-to-health
2. Mechanism of Oxidative Stress in Neurodegeneration
   http://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2012/428010/
3. Oxidative stress: oxidants and antioxidants
   http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/expphysiol.1997.sp004024/abstract
4. Mitochondrial glutathione oxidation correlates with age-associated oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA.
   http://www.fasebj.org/content/10/2/333