When our cells process the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat every day in order to survive, they generate potentially toxic by-products popularly known as “free radicals.” Some of these molecules perform functions essential to the organism, but if there are too many of them the cells’ internal structures can be damaged, preventing the cells from functioning properly and potentially leading to chronic disease. This process is called oxidative stress.
Our bodies contain a veritable arsenal of antioxidant enzymes that help maintain an appropriate reactive oxygen species balance, but these control mechanisms become less efficient as we get older. According to an article published in the journal Nutrition, supplementing one’s diet with the amino acid taurine could be a viable nutritional strategy to combat the problem.
Read more of the original article from MedicalXpress
