Iodine is an oxidant. Along with Iodine we take Vit C and selenium, both antioxidants, in part to avoid oxidative stress. Magnesium also functions as an antioxidant in orthoiodosupplementation(see FAQ's):


//www.curezone.org/faq/q.asp?a=13,281,2962&q=561


More on oxidative stress:


http://www.westonaprice.org/moderndiseases/oxidativestress.html


"Oxidative Stress (OS) is not, in and of itself, a disease but a condition that can lead to or accelerate it. OS occurs when the available supply of the body's antioxidants is insufficient to handle and neutralize free radicals of different types. The result is massive cell damage that can result in cellular mutations, tissue breakdown and immune compromise.

What are free radicals? They are highly unstable molecules that interact quickly and aggressively with other molecules in our bodies to create abnormal cells. They are capable of penetrating into the DNA of a cell and damaging its "blueprint" so that the cell will produce mutated cells that can then replicate without normal controls. Free radicals are unstable because they have unpaired electrons in their molecular structure. This causes them to react almost instantly with any substance in their vicinity. Oxygen, or oxyl, free radicals are especially dangerous.

Surprisingly, however, free radicals are involved in many cellular functions and are a normal part of living. When, for example, a mitochondria within a cell burns glucose for fuel, the mitochondria oxidizes the glucose and in so doing generates free radicals. White blood cells also use free radicals to attack and destroy bacteria, viruses and virus-infected cells. The detoxifying actions of the liver also require free radicals.

Although free radicals have useful functions in the body under controlled conditions, they are extremely unstable molecules that can damage cells if left uncontrolled. Free radicals destroy cellular membranes; enzymes and DNA. They accelerate aging and contribute to the development of many diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

Its important to note here that free radicals are also released in the body from the breaking down or detoxification of various chemical compounds. Additionally, certain foods contain free radicals which, when eaten, enter the body and damage it. The major sources of dietary free radicals are chemically-altered fats from commercial vegetable oils, vegetable shortening and all oils heated to very high temperatures.

Antioxidants to the Rescue

Fortunately, the body maintains a sophisticated system of chemical and biochemical defenses to control and neutralize free radicals. Chemical antioxidants scavenge free radicals, that is, they stabilize the unstable free radicals by giving them the electron they need to "calm down." The antioxidants are usually consumed or used up in this process--they sacrifice themselves.

The main antioxidants are vitamins A, E and C, betacarotene, glutathione, bioflavonoids, selenium, zinc, CoQ10 (ubiquinone), and various phyto-chemicals from herbs and foods. Green tea, for example, is rich in polyphenols--powerful antioxidants that help fight cancer.

Biochemical antioxidants not only scavenge free radicals, but also inhibit their formation inside the body. These include lipoic acid, and repair enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase. Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, is also a potent antioxidant. Cholesterol, produced by the liver, is another major antioxidant, which the body uses to repair damaged blood vessels. It is probably for this reason that serum cholesterol levels rise as people age. With age comes more free radical activity and in response the body produces more cholesterol to help contain and control the damage.

Of all the antioxidants, glutathione appears to be pivotal. Made up of three amino acids (cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid), glutathione is part of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase and is THE major liver antioxidant. It is a basic tenet of natural medicine that health cannot exist if the liver is toxic. Not surprisingly, extremely low levels of glutathione are found in people suffering from severe OS. People with AIDS, cancer and Parkinson's disease, for example, typically have very low glutathione levels.

As noted earlier, oxidative stress occurs when the amount of free radicals in the body exceeds its pool of available antioxidants. Obviously, knowing the varied sources of free radicals and avoiding them is an important part of minimizing their harmful effects.

Studies have shown that antioxidants work best in combination. Although there is value in supplementing with extra amounts of one or two antioxidants, better results are always obtained when a "cocktail" is administered. The reason for this is simple logic: different antioxidants neutralise different free radicals. If you take a combination, then more free radicals will be neutralised. You can, however, "slant" the antioxidant effect towards a particular ailment or organ if the nutrient has a particular affinity to them. For example, glutathione would be recommended for hepatitis, Parkinson's, AIDS and liver disease; vitamins E and C would be recommended for arteriosclerosis; CoQ10 would be recommended for heart disease; and alpha lipoic acid would be recommended for diabetes. See your health care professional to help you select the best antioxidant combination for you.

Staying on top of oxidative stress is a necessity in our increasingly toxic world. Taking care to avoid those toxins as much as possible and to enrich our diets with life-giving antioxidants is a wise step to take in our endless quest for wellness.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;


http://www.nutritional-medicine.net/oxidative-stress.asp


Oxygen is essential for life itself. But did you know it is also inherently dangerous to our existence? I call this the "dark-side" of oxygen. And as a result, we are essentially rusting both inside and out. The same process that causes a cut apple to turn brown or iron to rust is the cause of all the chronic degenerative diseases we fear and even the aging process itself.

Consider the aging of our skin. Oxidative stress is the cause of wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots. The next time you are with a large gathering of people of different ages, observe closely the change you see in people’s skin. Aging is a process we all take for granted, but when you look more closely, and compare a baby’s face, to that of a grandparent’s, the effects of our largest organ being exposed to all the pollutants in the air, sunlight, and cigarette smoke is baffling. This aging of the skin is an outward manifestation of "oxidative stress," which is occurring within every cell in your body.

Over the past 7 years, I have reviewed well over 2,000 medical and scientific studies in regards to nutritional supplements and their affect on your health. These studies appearing in medical journals like the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, British Lancet, and Annuals of Internal Medicine report that beyond any doubt the "root" cause of well over 70 chronic degenerative diseases is "oxidative stress." These are the "who’s who" of diseases we all fear and want to avoid; diseases like heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s dementia, macular degeneration, lupus, MS, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue. "So what," you may be wondering, "is ‘oxidative stress’?"

Within every cell of the body is a furnace called the mitochondria. As oxygen is utilized within the furnace of the cell to create energy and life itself, occasionally a charged oxygen molecule is created, called a "free radical." This free radical has at least one unpaired electron in its outer orbit essentially giving it an electrical charge. If this free radical is not readily neutralized by an antioxidant it can go on to create more volatile free radicals, damage the cell wall, vessel wall, proteins, fats, and even the DNA nucleus of our cells. Chemically this reaction has been shown to be so volatile that it actually causes bursts of light within our bodies!

Imagine yourself in front of a crackling fireplace and I’ll give you the best illustration I have to explain the process of oxidation. The fire burns safely and beautifully most of the time, but on occasion out pops a hot cinder that lands on your carpet and burns a little hole in it. One cinder by itself doesn’t pose much of a threat; but if this sparking and popping continues month after month, year after year, you will have a pretty "ratty" carpet in front of your fireplace.

The fireplace represents the furnace of the cell (the mitochondria), the cinder is the charged "free radical," and the carpet is your body. Whichever part of your body receives the most free radical damage will be the first to wear out and potentially cause one of these degenerative diseases. If it’s your arteries, you could develop a heart attack or stroke. If it is your brain, you could develop Alzheimer’s dementia or Parkinson’s disease. If it’s your joints, you could develop arthritis.

Through biochemical research we’re learning that we are not defenseless against this attack on our body by free radicals. Antioxidants are like the glass doors or fine-wire mesh we place in front of our fireplace. The sparks are still going to fly but our carpet will then be protected. As you begin to imagine the war that is taking place within every cell in your body, you can envision the two opposing forces: the enemy--free radicals; and your allies--antioxidants and their supporting nutrients.

Living a healthy life becomes a matter of balance. You must have enough antioxidants available to readily neutralize the number of free radicals your body produces. If you don’t, "oxidative stress" will occur. When this oxidative stress is allowed to persist over a prolonged period of time, you will most likely develop a serious chronic degenerative disease.

Each of us must ask, "Am I getting enough antioxidants from my diet to protect myself from this onslaught of free radicals or do I need to be taking nutritional supplements?" This is the question that I’ve had to ask myself as I have spent countless hours researching medical literature. You see I was taught in medical school that you don’t need supplements-that you can get everything you need from a good, healthy diet. And this is what I told my patients for years. I was wrong.