Biomarkers for Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress refers to an imbalance in the body between free radicals and antioxidants.
Oxidative stress results in cellular damage, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular death, and ageing.
So what are the biomarkers of oxidative stress?
When lipids break down in your body in the presence of oxygen, they produce malondialdehyde (MDA) as a by product. Elevated levels of MDA in the blood indicate that your body is stressed.
When your DNA interacts with oxygen, it produces 8-OHdG. Excessive levels of 8-OHdG, which can be measured in your urine and blood, indicate oxidative stress.
Similarly, when protein interacts with oxygen, it can produce something known as protein carbonyl. Elevated protein carbonyl is not just a marker for oxidative stress but also for Alzheimer's disease. You can measure it in your blood.
Gluthatione is an antioxidant produced by the liver. Gluthathione is critical to helping cells fight oxidative stress. Reduced levels of gluthathione indicate stress in the body.
So why would you want to measure these biomarkers for stress?
Oxygen is essential for you to live. If you do not get oxygen for even a second in any part of your body, that part will undergo cellular death, also known as ischemia.
However, your body has a complex relationship with oxygen. Each time your cells breathe, using oxygen, a natural by product is a molecule known as reactive oxygen species, or ROS.
Normally, your body will deal with the ROS and remove it, keeping your body in balance. It is when this delicate balance is broken that you experience oxidative stress.
External causes of oxidative stress include smoking, radiation, and chemical exposure. Excessive copper and iron can do the same thing.
A diet that has excessive saturated fats, transfats, and refined sugar or a diet deficient in nutrients such as vitamin E, C, and selenium can also cause stress.
If you believe that you are at risk for oxidative stress, it may be useful to get your blood and urine tested for the biomarkers I mentioned above.
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