The Role of Nutrition in Fighting Free Radicals: A Brief Review

This paper aims to review in literature the main mechanisms of oxidative stress, pointing out the major formed metabolites, the mechanisms of cell damage and major antioxidants. Oxygen is essential to human life. The formation of free radicals (FR) is closely related to oxygen consumption, a mechanism that occurs with an incomplete reduction of this molecule. Free radicals promote reactions with biological substrates, may cause damage to the biomolecules and consequently cause problems for human health .The oxidative stress, mechanism which is characterized by the imbalance between the FR formation and action of antioxidants in the body, can cause numerous cellular damage related to various injuries such as cancer, atherosclerosis, hypertension, emphysema, among other. The antioxidants are extremely important in fighting the damage in the body, which can be extrinsic or intrinsic sources.