Beta Carotene

Free-Radicals are highly energized molecules that fly around under terrific force with in a cell and damage what they strike; or, they can couple to something, such as DNA in the cells of the body, creating substances mother nature never intended the body to make when new cells are produced. These new cells can become benign tumors or malignancies when the DNA is changed with a free-radical attached to it.

If the free-radical attacks the DNA molecule in such a manner that it destroys it, then you are one cell less--that cell has been killed.

A free-radical is formed in the body by the very nature of cellular processes simply taking place; but mother nature in her wisdom, also placed for every free-radical formed, substances that null and void, or make them less reactive such that little or no damage or destruction occurs. That which does is easily repaired. The harmful effects arise from free-radicals when they seek to readily grab an electron from other molecules, changing the course of a reaction in that particular cell systems management.

Substances as vitamin E and C, Genistein ( found in soy), or Lycopene found in tomatoes, or the carotenoids--a class of compounds often with pro-vitamin A activity and found in fruits and vegetables; or the body makes other kinds of chemicals, such as Glutathione Peroxidase, to lessen or stop the reactive nature of certain molecules (free-radicals) are known under the class name of Anti-Oxdiants or Free-Radical Scavengers.

They do their job by coupling with or donating an electron to the free-radical, oftentimes becoming a more or less reactive free-radical themselves. This becomes a domino effect--the reactiveness of a molecule is passed from one to another untile it is completely nulled and voided or is water soluble and washed out of the body.

Take for instance vitamin E. It grabs free radicals, and in doing so, it becomes a less reactive free-radical itself. A potential for damaging cellular tissues at the molecular level.  But, the Carotenoids, if present from the diet in sufficient quantity, then inactivate the scavenged vitamine E product. The carotenoids now become a free-radical which is waiting for something to donate an electron to close off its unpaired electron on itself.

Vitamin C is the compound in this case that does this...and, itself also becomes a free-radical. The vitamin C, even though it loss an electron, is still water-soluble and flushed out of the body with little or no damage being done to the cells that can't be repaired without dire consequences to the organism.

1. Cigarette smoking or smoking in general generates free-radicals harmful to the body.
2. For every cigarette smoked, you need 25 mgs of vitamin C just for the cigarette itself, minimum.
3. The maximum amount needed for every cigarette is 35 mgs of vitamin C.

In England at Keele University, T. George Truscott explains the puzzlings results of beta carotene supplements towards boosting the incidence of lung cancer studies in smokers, by pointing out the following:

1. Smoker's tend to be low in vitamin C.
2. And as such, they don't have enough vitamin C to scavenge the carotenoid radicals.
3. Giving smokers bete carotene and no vitamic C only increases the free-radicals in the body along with those radicals produced by the cigarettes.