Free Radicals
Written by Jordan Coar (Founder of Xzen Performance Coaching)
As I commence research and development of Xzen Health; a wellness coaching program that emphasizes antifragility, immunity, and longevity in order to construct a physical vessel that is fortified and equipped for the journey to fulfill GOD’s purpose for one’s life— it is challenging to disregard the psychological-physiological connection that exists within each of us, and the individual-communal connection that appears in correlation.
I do not find it a coincidence that we have a global energy crisis arising in parallel with individuals who are reported to have less energy than at any time in recent memory. Therein lies the emergence of a global health quadrant: constructed with the psychological and physiological realms extending along the vertical axis, and the individual and communal experiences unfolding upon the horizontal axis. The question then arises: can an individual physiological phenomena be connected to a communal psychological phenomena? I believe the answer is yes, and as the quintessential exemplar, I present the concept of the free radical.
Physiologically speaking, a free radical is a type of unstable molecule that is birthed amidst normal cell metabolism. The defining feature of a free radical lies in that it contains a single, unpaired electron in an outer orbit. These molecules have gotten a bad rap, but there are some benefits to having a modest presence of free radicals within one's body. Free radicals, in their most favorable capacity, are used to kill pathogens, organisms that cause disease to its host, as well as to regulate cell growth. Furthermore, free radicals are crucial to other bodily functions, such as stress responses and metabolism.
How do free radicals develop? Endogenous free radicals are generated from immune cell activation, inflammation, and stress amongst other sources, while exogenous (outside of the body) sources include environmental pollution, medical radiation, and ultraviolet radiation. Free radicals are used in the body during high-stress situations to pump more blood into the heart and prepare the body for action. Too many free radicals, however, and damage to cell tissues and DNA occur, as well as a chain of chemical reactions that drive aging (especially premature aging), along with a host of other illnesses and diseases. The unpaired electron seeks to steal electrons from other molecules, causing a chain of reactions with destabilized molecules that lead to oxidative stress, an imbalance of free radicals to antioxidants in the body. This is beneficial when killing cancerous cells, but when it is normal, healthy cells, this can be catastrophic.
Which leads to the socio-psychological concept of the free radical. The “free radical” in society functions in a manner strikingly akin to the way it does in the body. The societal free radical typically manifests as an unstable individual or collective, dwelling on the outer orbits of an ordinarily functioning society. Its principal objectives involve raising alarm and regulating in response to potential disease, ill, or injustice, and to regulate the growth of the body beyond its capacity.
Obviously, there are phenomenal benefits to the presence of such groups of people, serving on a spectrum from siren to militia against perceived societal transgressions, embodying a physical manifestation of the checks and balances system that underpin the American governmental structure. However, like the endogenous free radical, an excess of societal free radicals gives rise to a chain of destabilization and damage to the very fabric of a society.
I believe this is the present condition of the United States and the broader Western world: a state of oxidative stress, a consequence of the escalating abundance of free radicals that inexorably accelerates the erosion of society's fabric. As these free radicals seep into the bedrock institutions of society, most notably the government, the school, the business, the family, and the individual, the free radical insidiously assumes the role of nucleus within the Western body, an occurrence fraught with an array of undesirable consequences. Among these consequences lies the intrinsic trait of the endogenous free radical: the unpaired electron, which endows it with an inherently negative charge. The society run by the free radicals, spanning both sides of the political and ideological aisles, harbors a pessimistic outlook on the collective society, thrusting the entire body into a state of distress, which is the optimal environment for a free radical.
This is evidenced by the increase in sensationalism, whether it be the impending environmental apocalypse caused by climate change, or the increasing racial, gender, and economic class sensitivity on the left, and forewarnings of cultural collapse, economic crisis, and geopolitical instability on the right. This does not negate the necessity for discourse and resolution surrounding either or all of these matters, although with varying degrees of urgency, rather it highlights the proclivity to label all concerns as "threats to democracy" or "threats to survival," when, in fact, history is on the side of the indomitable power of human ingenuity. The destabilizing force of the free radical manifests in the waning confidence and trust vested in our most central institutions and professions.
How do we thwart the threat and combat the overpopulation of free radicals?
Endogenously, the presence of antioxidants, substances that prevent the cell damage inflicted by free radicals by inhibiting oxidation, the very process that produces free radicals in the first place.
Who, then, might represent the societal antioxidants? This is possibly the defining question of the future of Western Civilization.
Might it be the Christian Church, or another religious denomination? Could it be the wealthy? Perhaps a fresh crop of principled politicians? Does this assembly of individuals emerge from Conservative or Liberal ideologies? While the answers to these inquiries may demand patience, there are measures we can presently undertake to decrease the inflamed environment. The first thing we can do is understand the nature of free radicals. Mirroring their endogenous counterparts, free radicals possess a fleeting existence, which is why societally, free radicals materialize in pockets of fads and trends that eventually die off. A steadfast conviction on the morals, ethics, and principles that constructed the society we live in will significantly contribute to defeating the overpopulation of free radicals, or at the very least, afford us time until the antioxidants reveal themselves. The second vital aspect to understand about free radicals is that we should not seek to completely suppress them; they provide excellent signals at a more fundamental problem. Free radicals, in and of themselves, do not pose a threat until their population surges. Addressing the root issue will remediate the infestation of free radicals before they gain traction. The final thing we can do is curb the chronic inflammation pervasive in our society: the unceasing sensationalism, the undue reliance on social media and other technologies that prevent our collective body from relaxing and de-stressing.
The presence of free radicals, both in our bodies and in society, conveys one message: we need more antioxidants. Regardless of the environmental and consumption pattern alterations we undergo, without a sufficient number of antioxidants in our system— the body and the society have an uphill battle in the quest – the necessity – for self-healing and anti-fragility.
Free Radicals
