Oxidative Stress: Defense or Disease

Abundant research has demonstrated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed in the human body. They contribute to our defenses, as well as cause oxidative damage to DNA, block cellular signal transduction, and modulate gene expression and enzyme activity (Wiseman and Halliwell, 1996). The possibility that ROS contribute to the etiology of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative processes has been an area of increasing inquiry, investigation, and controversy.

ROS is a collective…