EP.379/ WTF is Oxidative Stress and What’s Its Role in Endo?
Today I want to start a series called ‘WTF is…?’ where we look at the different mechanisms behind endo growth and development so we can understand them better and understand why we may want to focus on endo management changes like diet and lifestyle.
Today I want to talk about oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress occurs when we have an imbalance between free radicals (otherwise known as Reactive Oxygen Species) and antioxidants.
Free radicals are molecules that contain oxygen and they occur from normal processes in the body, such as when we make energy.
They can also be produced from things like blood sugar spikes and pollution, and we also ingest them from certain foods like fried, sugary and processed foods.
These free radicals are very sensitive, and they react with other molecules in our body. This is because these molecules are missing an atom to make them ‘complete’. Think of a necklace that is missing it’s clasp - the function of that necklace, the purpose of it is no longer possible and naturally, we would want to buy a clasp and repair the necklace. This free radical molecule acts in the same way, it goes around looking for its clasp, or in this case, atom, and to gain one, it steals an atom from other molecules in the body, damaging them.
Now, we naturally make and need some free radicals, but when there are too many of them, they actually cause significant damage to our cells and create what we call ‘oxidative stress’. Oxidative stress causes inflammatory conditions such as diabetes and cancer, but also accelerates aging in the body. So, overall, keeping our oxidative stress levels down, is important for all of us.
But let’s look at endo specifically.
The damage caused by free radicals triggers an inflammatory cascade, that releases immune chemicals like prostaglandin E2 and F2a.
Now, I know I talk about these guys a lot, but just to remind you, these inflammatory prostaglandins are major players in endo pain and progression.
But that’s not where the endo and oxidative stress link ends.
People with endo have higher levels of free radicals both in the blood stream and in the pelvic area, even in the ovaries.
These free radicals play a role in adhesion development, lower egg quality, infertility, the immune dysfunction that allows for endo to progress and even nerve sensitisation that increases pain.
Now, antioxidants neutralise the effects of these free radicals - they stop them from doing damage.
But people with endo don’t just have higher levels of free radicals.
We also have lower levels of antioxidants - especially where we need them, like in the peritoneal cavity (a place in the pelvis) and where free radicals have been shown to be high and doing damage.
But the good news is, we can lower the amount of oxidative stress in the body, and raise antioxidant levels, through methods such as a high antioxidant diet, managing blood sugar and avoiding environmental exposures like smoking.
And it gets better. Studies on endo show that both supplements and diet can reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in endometriosis patients, even in the pelvic area, where it really counts.
So, next time you hear me discuss a study that showed levels of oxidative stress reduced in endo patients, listen up, because these methods have the potential to make a real, measurable difference.
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References
Linked in transcript above
Produced by Chris Robson