Inflammation and oxidative stress, there is no organ that is not exposed to oxidative stress!

March 25, 2021

Inflammation and oxidative stress, there is no organ that is not exposed to oxidative stress!

Our bodies are constantly fighting oxidative stress. Exposure to oxidative stress can lead to premature aging and an increase in various disease factors.

My previous article, “What is Oxidative Stress?”, which I wrote in the past, for those who want to know more about it.

 


First, let me briefly introduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the damage caused to the body’s cells by substances called reactive oxygen species.

Some of the reactive oxygen species are substances used in bleaching agents, such as hypochlorous acid and hydrogen peroxide. If you put bleach on your hands, your skin will become irritated. This is what it means to be exposed to oxidative stress.

In other words, if the oxidative stress in the body increases, inflammation of internal organs and other parts of the body will result in illness.


Organs that are more or less exposed to oxidative stress

Is there a difference between the organs in our body that are more or less exposed to oxidative stress? In order to answer this question, let’s take a look at how oxidative stress occurs in our bodies and how it affects us.

First, let’s talk about the skin. When we are exposed to ultraviolet rays contained in the sun, oxidative stress occurs in the skin of the area exposed to the ultraviolet rays. If you are exposed to the sun for a long time in the summer, your skin will become red and itchy.


This is because the oxidative stress agents in the skin cause the skin to become inflamed. This is what we call sunburn. Oxidative stress may seem like something unidentifiable, but it is something that is very familiar to us.

Oxidative stress can also be said to be the cause of acne and atopic dermatitis.

Like the skin, the eyes are also directly exposed to ultraviolet rays. In the case of the eyes, oxidative stress can cause diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa.


If that’s the case, wouldn’t you think that internal organs that are not exposed to UV rays would not be exposed to oxidative stress? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Lack of exercise, excess sugar, alcohol consumption, smoking, mental stress, and many other factors cause oxidative stress in the body, which increases oxidative stress.

Diseases differ depending on the part of the body where oxidative stress causes damage.

If the oxidative stress in the body affects the liver, it can cause hepatitis; if it affects the kidneys, it can cause nephritis; if it affects the pancreas, it can cause pancreatitis. In this way, it is said that exposure of the whole body to oxidative stress can cause various diseases. It is also said that where there is inflammation, oxidative stress increases.

In conclusion, there is no difference between organs that are sensitive to oxidative stress and those that are not, and all organs can be exposed to oxidative stress.


Oxidative stress can cause inflammation in various parts of the body, and where there is inflammation, oxidative stress increases. It’s a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg game, and it’s hard to say which is the cause and which is the effect of inflammation and oxidative stress.

However, since they are closely interacting with each other, just by suppressing oxidative stress on one side, inflammation will naturally decrease.


Finally.

I hope you have understood that oxidative stress can damage cells throughout the body. Oxidative stress has been shown to lead not only to disease but also to aging. We cannot escape oxidative stress in our lives, but there are ways to reduce oxidative stress.

For more information on how to reduce oxidative stress, please refer to my previous article, “What kind of lifestyle causes oxidative stress?”.


Lowering oxidative stress can protect the body from the 150 different diseases that oxidative stress is said to cause. This will lead to a long and healthy life. If you want to stay healthy until the end of your life, please try to lower your oxidative stress on a daily basis.