The Role of Oxidative Stress
The myriad of Autism characteristics include:
- Inappropriate laughing or giggling
- No real fear of dangers
- Apparent insensitivity to pain
- May not want cuddling
- Sustained unusual or repetitive play; uneven physical or verbal skills
- May avoid eye contact
- May prefer to be alone
- Difficulty in expressing needs
- Inappropriate attachments to objects
- Insistence on sameness
- Echoing words or phrases
- Inappropriate or no response to sound
- Spining of objects or of self
- Difficulty in interacting with others
As researchers further define how free radicals and oxidative stress contribute to the cause of autism, the role of GSH as the primary intracellular antioxidant will come to the forefront.
A strong argument has been made for the role of oxidative stress and free radical formation in promoting development of Autism.
Dr. James Balch, co-author of the best selling book Prescription for Nutritional Healing, demonstrates the effect of free radicals on a cut apple.
The apple becomes brown after contact from oxygen free radicals in the air. By coating the other half of the apple with lemon juice it does not decay.
For the past 30 years, anti-oxidants have been well documented to prevent our cells from such decay and disease. 18
Antioxidants such as GSH, C and E 1 neutralize ‘free radicals' – and protect against cell metabolism, where ‘by-products' called ‘oxyradicals', are created.
Let us explore the various ways we are under attack – both by normal metabolic processors to abnormal stressors such as Autism.
Oxyradicals = ‘Rust' and Decay
Q: What happens to a nail with a ‘protective' galvanized coating?
A: It is prevented from oxidation and rusting.
The same principal applies to the apple's ‘protective' peel.
The latest scientific findings conclude the same destructive ‘process' is at work within our body - without a ‘protective' coating our cells are exposed to this process of ‘rusting'.
Autism dramatically increases oxidative attacks on your body, as the production of Oxyradicals exceeds your body's lowered capability to produce sufficient defenses to fight them, in turn causing further damage.
Oxyradicals interact with other molecules within the cells and can cause damage to DNA and cell membranes in the same manner that iron rusts and some fruits turn brown when exposed to the air.
In addition to our bodies producing free radicals internally, external factors such as: |
- Air pollution
- Cigarette smoke
- Exposure to toxic chemicals
- Processed foods
- High amounts of saturated fats
All are known to cause additional free radical production.
Oxyradicals are highly reactive molecules – missing an electron - that are produced as an end result of the cells in your body reacting with oxygen as they manufacture energy.
Oxyradicals are so desperate to balance themselves with an electron that they will strip an electron from any of your healthy cells or lipid membrane surfaces.
When this happens, an oxidative free radical is ‘made whole' or ‘satisfied' but incredible damage is done to the cell molecule that lost the electron - disrupting its entire function.
In the figure above we can see that a that a Hydrogen Electron (H) is missing from the molecule. This is what is known as a "free radical". The molecule "wants" a Hydrogen atom and "steals" one from the GSH molecule as shown below.
The GSH molecules now pair up to form a neutrally charged, non-toxic CSSG.
Successful Attack
When an Oxyradical attack penetrates the cell – if it targets the nucleus, the DNA is corrupted and the blue print is set to mutate... a smoldering cancer is set in motion. 22
Oxidative attacks occur a million times per second to your cells - on an unrelenting, continuous basis.
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The Pain Response
One of the adverse effects of oxidative stress that can be felt immediately – is inflammation.
As in all disease states - and Autism is no exception – the disease condition itself, generates massive amounts of oxidative free radicals. 21
This is how oxidative damage exacerbates the progression of a disease – especially the pain response associated with illness, due to oxidation being the major contributing factor of an inflamed cell.23
Dr. Jimmy Gutman, relates, “It is clear from observing patients with inflammation... that inflamed cells... are a hotbed of free radicals.”
Antioxidants
Antioxidants occur naturally in each cell, and are found in the food we eat.
Antioxidants are stable molecules that have electrons to spare. When antioxidants come in contact with free-radical molecules - they hand over their electrons and stop the degenerative chain reaction of free-radical oxidation.
Unless corrective measures are taken to counteract the amount of oxidative damage with sufficient amounts of antioxidants, the destructive process continues to undermine your Alzsheimer's.
The body's primary antioxidant is Glutathione GSH. (See our recommendation to raise your body's natural supply of Glutathione GSH ).
Foods high in antioxidants are those containing Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene (which converts to Vitamin A in the body).
Vitamin C can be found in foods such as citrus fruits, strawberries, sweet peppers, cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, spinach, onions, peas, potatoes, and vine ripened tomatoes.
Vitamin E is contained in vegetable oils, wheat germ, whole grains, dark leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, sunflower seeds and nuts, especially almonds, and sweet potatoes.
Beta-carotene (which coverts to Vitamin A in the body) can be found in foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apricots, cantaloupe, and are dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, leaf lettuce and broccoli.
In addition to obtaining antioxidants from the food we eat, there are many high quality antioxidant supplements available.
Clearly, the lower anti-oxidant levels in your cells, the more un protected every cell is, and outstandingly in the case of neurological illness, the more rapid the decline in your condition.
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