As aging research progresses, various factors that promote aging have been identified.
Among these, “oxidation” is attracting particular attention.

Oxidation is so-called “rust.
Oxidation damages cells, reduces the function of cells and tissues, and causes the aging process to progress.
In order to slow down the aging process, it is essential to increase antioxidant capacity, which is the ability to remove active oxygen.

No one can resist the natural phenomenon of “aging,” which progresses as we grow older.
However, it is possible to resist “aging,” the decline in body functions that accompanies the aging process.
Based on this belief, aging has come to be treated as a disease in recent years.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also established a framework for diseases called “aging-related diseases,” and the concept of aging as a disease has become a global standard.
If aging is a kind of disease, it is possible to prevent and treat it proactively.

Aging progresses due to a combination of various factors, including poor diet and lack of exercise.
One factor that has been attracting attention is oxidation.
In this issue, we will focus on oxidation and introduce its threats and countermeasures based on past popular articles.

Oxidation is so-called “rust” and refers to a chemical reaction in which oxygen combines with a substance.
Oxidation occurs in our bodies in the same way that metals and old fruits and vegetables turn brown.
For example, skin cells that are continuously exposed to ultraviolet rays are damaged and develop spots and wrinkles.

This kind of oxidative damage to cells and the harmful effects it causes is called “oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress degrades the functions of cells and tissues and causes aging.

As long as we live using oxygen, we must deal with oxidation for the rest of our lives.
This is because the energy necessary for life is made from oxygen, and the substance called “reactive oxygen species” generated in this process is the source of oxidation.
Since reactive oxygen species have a strong ability to oxidize other substances, an excess of them can damage cells and trigger a variety of diseases.

Fortunately, humans also possess antioxidant capacity, the ability to eliminate reactive oxygen species.
Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential for life, they must be controlled so that they do not decrease to an extreme level and do not increase to an excessive level.
If this balance can be maintained by increasing antioxidant capacity, cells can be protected from reactive oxygen species and diseases associated with aging can be prevented and improved.