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                                 December 29, 1990

                                     AGE4.ASC
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                              The Free Radical Theory

       Dr. Roy Walford  of  UCLA  and  Dr.  Richard  Cutler of the National
       Institute on Aging believe that antioxidants might play a major part
       in slowing down the aging process.

       Walford recommends a combination of undernutrition, antioxidants and
       exercise as the most practical means currently available to help man
       extend his life-span.

       Scientists think antioxidants might  help to reduce the promulgation
       of free radicals by absorption.

       Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals which  carry  around  an
       extra electron.  The  random  release  of  these  free electrons can
       cause irreversible reactions to occur in the body.

       These reactions include attacks on  the  structure  of DNA, proteins
       and molecules which can lead to chain reactions.  Free  radicals can
       oxidize and slowly damage body tissues, particularly cell membranes.

       The free-radical theory  was  first introduced to the gerontological
       community by Dr.  Denham  Harmon,   working  at  the  University  of
       Nebraska School of Medicine in the late 1950's and 1960's.

       Cells undergoing division  are  particularly  susceptible   to  free
       radicals.  The attachment   of  the  free  electron  can  cause  the
       polarity of the affected cell component  to shift which will in turn
       cause mutation.  These  mutations can continue to replicate  causing
       major problems as the organism ages due to faulty DNA sequences.
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                             Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet

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