Familiar with rust? Of course, you are. You’ve probably observed in passing just what happens to brass when it is exposed to the elements. It’s not a pretty sight, or maybe it is, if rust is your favorite color and if it is indeed a color. But anyway, let us not talk about that. Instead, let us talk about how rust is formed.

Familiar with rust? Of course, you are. You’ve probably observed in passing just what happens to brass when it is exposed to the elements. It’s not a pretty sight, or maybe it is, if rust is your favorite color and if it is indeed a color. But anyway, let us not talk about that. Instead, let us talk about how rust is formed.

Rust is actually formed when oxygen reacts with metal, or more specifically, when oxygen reacts with iron. Iron is found in most metals and iron is also found in blood. Yes, even human blood. So every time we breathe, we take in oxygen and oxygen gets mixed in our blood which contains iron. A reaction between these two elements is a matter of course. And such a reaction, called oxidation, is the prime reason why we age, why we develop diseases, or why things happen to our body every which way.

Of course, oxygen is an essential element of life. However, that does not discount the fact that they can have negative effects as well. No, humans do not get rusty. Let’s make that clear right now. It is just that what is essential for health might also be capable of disrupting cellular function and impairing efforts towards health by generating excessive amounts of oxygen byproducts known as free radicals.

Free radicals are highly reactive molecules. Because of their electron configuration (they are missing at least one electron), they tend to become unstable. To make up for their shortage of electrons, they search for other substances from which they can steal an electron. Free radicals are not necessarily bad but when they accumulate in the body, they could cause complications in the normal functioning of the cells.

Thankfully, our body comes with its own army of free radical fighters. Antioxidant substances, that’s what they’re called. Antioxidant substances may either be plant phytochemicals derived from a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables or from enzymes produced by our own body in reaction to certain nutrients. Either way, antioxidant substances have only one function and this function is apparent in their names: they neutralize oxygen radicals, or oxidants.

Antioxidant substances are capable of inhibiting the oxidation of target molecules. In other words, they act as an anti-rust mechanism. In general, antioxidant substances are divided into two categories. The first group of antioxidant substances is comprised those that have activity in water (like vitamin C). The second group on the other hand is composed of antioxidant substances that have activity in fat (like vitamin E and beta-carotene). Lipoic acid is an unusual antioxidant substance because it has both water and fat-soluble activity.