The Fallacy of the 'Free Radical Theory'

by Sang Whang

"Free radicals" and "anti-oxidant" are the latest buzzwords of the health industry. The claim is that oxidation of some foods creates free radicals and that these free radicals' transfer of electrons or "holes" (this is a semiconductor terminology for the absence of electron) damages the human cells. To prevent this phenomenon we have to eat anti-oxidant food or take anti-oxidant vitamins.

Technically, this doesn't make sense. To begin with, the health industry misunderstands the technical meaning of free radicals. Free radicals must have either positive or negative polarity. If the oxidation of food creates free radicals, they all must be of the same polarity. Otherwise, "free" radicals of opposite polarities will mate with each other immediately and there will not be any "free radicals".

If they were all positive polarity free radicals, as the health industry implies, all the positive "holes" will go to the skin surface immediately, because the human body is a good conductor. Remember, like charges repel each other; and the skin surface will become positively charged. If this should be the case, we would get electrical shocks whenever we shake hands with another person.

One example of this phenomenon that we experience physically is when we walk on a carpeted floor in a dry climate and build up positive charges in our body. When we touch a doorknob or shake hands, we get a shock. This is the phenomenon of free radicals. To avoid the pain of shock, we can grab a metal key firmly and touch the doorknob with the key. We will then see sparks from the key as it touches the doorknob, this means that all the charges are discharged instantly. This is how good a human body conducts electricity.

In the human body, there is a high conductivity network that spans throughout the body, in addition to the nerve, blood vessel, and lymph networks. When true free radicals, such as negative ions in the atmosphere, enter the human body in a random stochastic manner, they don't go through our body randomly. They enter and leave our body through this high conductivity network end points. Electrical current always travels through the minimum resistance path, i.e., the high conductivity path. Scientists can detect these high conductivity end points by using conductivity measuring devices. We now know that these high conductivity end points correspond to the acupuncture points that the Chinese had to learn in the hard way through the centuries.

In our body, the function of this high conductivity network is the same as a lightning arrester. The lightening arrester provides a path for the surge of current to go through so that it will not disturb the house or its electric/telephone wires. If not for this high conductivity network in our body, free radicals entering our body will travel randomly and thus disturb the nerve network, sabotaging the orderly flow of brain commands. God has provided this protective network within our body for us to live within an atmosphere where there are many free radicals hitting our body. If there were any so-called free radicals generated in our body, they will be discharged immediately through this acupuncture network.

Free radicals such as negative ions in the atmosphere are good for us. They stimulate the high conductivity path, providing micro level acupuncture treatment. Living in an urban area, we miss negative ions. Up in the mountains or near the sea, there is a higher concentration of negative ions, generating euphoric feeling in us, and people live longer in these areas. Fortunately for us, we can buy a negative ion generator to generate negative ions.

If these troublemakers were indeed "free radicals", the simple solution would be to have a negative ion generator in a room to neutralize all the free radicals and be done with it instantly; and there will not be any need to take so-called anti-oxidants. It is true that oxidation creates acidic waste products, but oxidation also provides energy that is necessary for us to live. Anti-oxidant, therefore, is not the solution. The solution is to discharge the acidic waste products that oxidation creates. Some food products, vitamins or herbs are helpful in getting rid of acidic waste products or transforming these waste products into a safer form. Perhaps these products are what are erroneously called "anti-oxidant agents".

Acidic wastes do have hydrogen ion (H+) radicals but they are not free; they are always mated with organic or inorganic acid elements and not with hydroxyl (OH-) ions, thus creating an acidic environment. To reduce these H+ ions, we need OH- ions. For this, alkaline water is the best remedy. By calling acidic waste products resulting from oxidation "free radicals", we confuse the issue and, therefore, cannot come up with the proper solution. When we truly understand the problem, a solution is easy to find.

If we substitute "free radicals" with "acidic wastes" and "anti-oxidants" with "waste removing alkaline substances", all the published articles on "free radicals" make more sense scientifically. We get old because of our "waste mismanagement". Understanding the fact that waste products are acidic, and not free radicals, we are on the right path to finding the solution to anti-aging.

Used with Permission