What are free radicals and what do they do to our bodies?

Free radicals: Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd unpaired number of electrons which can develop in our body tissues and cells due to an oxydation process. This can cause harm to the tissues and cellular and intra-cellular damage to the immune system. Free radicals can be suppressed by various diets and supplements and vitamins, esp. The anti-oxidants.

O2 and N2 reactives: Free Radicals are uncharged nitrogen and oxygen molecules (typically highly reactive and rapidly interacting) that have an unpaired valence electron. This makes them strongly attractive to a variety of other molecules that can alter normal physiology. Normally there is a balance of free radicals and anti-oxidants, but when free radicals overwhelm the anti-oxidants, oxidative stress occurs.