Unstable oxygen molecules made daily as a normal by-product of the body’s need for energy, free radicals are highly reactive biochemical entities that cause molecular damage to cells. If not stopped, they can disrupt the cell’s ability to protect itself. Free radicals are also thought to interact with some fats in the diet, making them clog arteries. Additionally, free radical damage is now being linked to hypertension, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, and congestive heart failure.
As we age, the cumulative effects of this endless process begin to take their toll. Study after study has shown that free radicals increase the risk of all cancers, including that of the prostate. Free radicals also oxidize LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol on artery walls, producing a build-up of deadly plaque. If no intervention is made, the endothelial lining of the arteries is damaged. It is this impaired endothelial function that is believed to precede hardening of the arteries, which is the leading cause of heart attack.
Unstopped, free radicals have the limitless potential to harm every part of the body, including the arteries of the penis. However, there is an arsenal readily available that can stop free radical damage. Antioxidants can halt the injury that free radical molecules have wrought, and then repair cellular damage.
*111\183\8*
