As you probably remember from your old high school days, atoms consist of a nucleus, neutrons, protons and electrons. The number of protons (positively charged particles) in the atom's nucleus determines the number of electrons (negatively charged particles) surrounding the atom. Electrons are involved in chemical reactions and are the substance that bonds atoms together to form molecules. Electrons surround, or "orbit" an atom in one or more shells. The innermost shell is full when it has two electrons. When the first shell is full, electrons begin to fill the second shell. When the second shell has eight electrons, it is full, and so on.

The most important structural feature of an atom for determining its chemical behavior is the number of electrons in its outer shell. A substance that has a full outer shell tends not to enter in chemical reactions (an inert substance). Because atoms seek to reach a state of maximum stability, an atom will try to fill it's outer shell by:

• Gaining or losing electrons to either fill or empty its outer shell .
• Sharing its electrons by bonding together with other atoms in order to complete its outer shell.

Atoms often complete their outer shells by sharing electrons with other atoms. By sharing electrons, the atoms are bound together and satisfy the conditions of maximum stability for the molecule.

How Free Radicals are Formed?

Normally, bonds don't split in a way that leaves a molecule with an odd, unpaired electron. But when weak bonds split, free radicals are formed. Free radicals are very unstable and react quickly with other compounds, trying to capture the needed electron to gain stability. Generally, free radicals attack the nearest stable molecule, "stealing" its electron. When the "attacked" molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. Once the process is started, it can cascade, finally resulting in the disruption of a living cell.

Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism. Sometimes the body's immune system's cells purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. However, environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also spawn free radicals.

Normally, the body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. Of particular importance is that free radical damage accumulates with age.

Free Radicals in Plain English

Let's say each atom has a positive and a negative end. Atoms that have both poles will remain stable and continue to do what atoms do in a normal fashion. Now let's say an atom only has a negative end - it is missing a positive and thus becomes unstable. It will bounce around inside the cell looking for a positive and in doing so cause damage in the cell.

An unstable atom is called a free radical and the collective damage done to the cell by the unstable atom is called oxidation. When the body has enough damaged cells from free radicals and oxidation, we have aging. Obviously, we need to do something about these free radicals.

Every time we breathe and every time our body breaks down nutrients for energy, free radicals are created. We must breath and eat in order to survive, so simply stopping either thing is not an option. What we need to do is introduce anti-oxidants to the body to combat the oxidation and ultimately, the aging.

An anti-oxidant is simply an atom that has only a positive end. When an anti-oxidant meets with a free radical, they both join up to become a stable atom. Stable atoms don't damage cells, or cause oxidation or cause aging. We want stable atoms in our body.

Kangen Water can help us achieve this.

What are Free Radicals?

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