I am not a researcher or a scientist, but I am very curious about maintaining health. My medical training as a registered nurse and my further studies in natural health and wellness (which includes Jin Shin Jyutsu, the science of Ayurveda and most recently the science of redox biochemistry) has led me to a simple formula for health ...
Healthy cells build a healthy body.
Our cells are the life force and building blocks of all tissue in the body. Our cells specialize according to our genetic code and become bone, muscles, organs, nerves, arteries, veins, and blood.
By design, our cells strive for balance and optimal function through constant repair, restoration, and replacement. For example, the cells that line the small intestine are replaced every 2 - 4 days and stomach cells are replaced every 2 - 9 days.
My simple formula for health is easily accomplished when we make healthy lifestyle choices such as eating well, adequate hydration, simple exercise, sleep, and now by improving communication at the cellular level with redox signaling molecules.
What are redox signaling molecules?
An emerging field of science, Redox Biochemistry, has discovered some very special molecules, called redox signaling molecules. Redox signaling is cellular communication within a living organism and is essential for normal cell function. In fact, a wide range of biochemical and physiological processes critically depend on redox signaling in and among our cells.
Redox signaling molecules are produced within every cell in your body. They either carry the message that tells our cells to activate the antioxidants that have been manufactured and stored in your body or they amplify cellular signals for repair, restoration, and replacement.
Why is redox signaling so important?
Oxidative stress is a degenerative progress inside the body. It is similar to rusting. This rusting is brought about by the aging process and other epigenetic factors such as bad diet choices, poor sleep, stress, and environmental toxins. These epigenetic factors weaken our innate cellular defenses and normal function. The end result "turns off" genes and genetic pathways.
Cells become less able to produce and maintain a proper balance of redox molecules. Reduced amounts of redox signaling molecules result in less efficient cellular function, less antioxidant activity, and less repair, restoration, and replacement.
This is why we begin to see the signs of aging and the beginning of chronic disease. According to the CDC, approximately 95% of all adult chronic aging issues are attributed to oxidative stress and the chronic degenerative inflammation that follows.
For more information:
Short Overview of ROS as Cell Function Regulators and Their Implications in Therapy Concepts. Cells. 2019 Aug; 8(8): 793.Published online 2019 Jul 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells8080793
