James Bond, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Phenols

James Bond, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Phenols 

Too many free radicals. That s your problem. Free radicals, sir  

They re toxins that destroy the body and the brain, caused by eating too much red meat and white bread and too many dry martinis  

James Bond Then I shall cut out the white bread, sir. 

We re familiar with free radicals as reactive, short-lived intermediates in chemical reactions. How are they involved in biological processes and why does M refer to them as toxins We ll consider these questions, but first some background on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress will be helpful. 

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The skins of red grapes are a source of resveratrol, a polyphenol having antioxidant properties that is widely used as a nutritional supplement. For more on antioxidants, see the essay "James Bond, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Phenols" on page 1004. 

Chapter 22 James Bond, Oxidation Stress, and Antioxidant Phenols shows how phenolic compounds such as vitamin E can protect cell membranes against damage caused by reactive oxygen species by terminating a free-radical chain reaction. 

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