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Article: The antioxidant defence.(CHEMFUSION)(Free radicals research)
- Article from:
- Canadian Chemical News
- Article date:
- April 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Chemical Institute of Canada. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In the 1950s, Denham Harman began to study the effects of radiation on mice. He noted that the animals aged more quickly and had a reduced life expectancy. This could happen, he theorized, if the radiation sparked the production of some highly reactive and destructive chemical species that then went on to wreak havoc in tissues. At the time, Harman's idea did not generate much interest, but it wasn't long before the scientific world began to vigorously debate the existence of his rogue "free radicals."
Free radicals, Harman suggested, could be tamed. In fact, food processors were already doing this by adding certain preservatives to their products. Butylated ...