Simply by living, we oxidise. Cellular respiration produces free radicals – chemical species, derived, for example, from oxygen, possessing an unpaired electron, which makes them particularly unstable. This unpaired electron seeks to form a bond and reacts rapidly with other molecules which it also makes unstable. In turn, these attack other molecules and the process is endless. This is what is known as the oxidation chain reaction.
Although the phenomenon is naturally normal, it is significantly amplified by external impacts such as UV rays, pollution and stress. It is the excess of this phenomenon that has negative effects providing the key to accelerated ageing. To stop this phenomen, there is a single solution – the presence of effective antioxidants capable of acting sufficiently at the right time.