Oxidative Stress
Also known as: reactive oxygen species · ROS · free radicals
Cellular damage from an excess of reactive oxygen species — the imbalance antioxidants and many longevity compounds target.
Oxidative stress is the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) — unstable, oxygen-containing by-products of metabolism — and the antioxidant defences that neutralise them. Excess ROS damages proteins, lipids and DNA.
It is a central mechanism in ageing and tissue injury, which is why antioxidant capacity features heavily in longevity and cellular-energy research — from glutathione to mitochondria-protecting peptides such as SS-31.
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RELATED TERMS
Antioxidant
A molecule that neutralises reactive oxygen species, protecting cells from oxidative damage — e.g. glutathione.
Glutathione
A tripeptide (glutamate-cysteine-glycine) that is the body’s master antioxidant, studied for detoxification and skin.
Mitochondria
The cell’s energy-producing organelles; their function is central to cellular-energy and longevity research.
SS-31
A mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide (elamipretide) studied for protecting the inner mitochondrial membrane and cellular energy.
Apoptosis
Programmed cell death — an orderly self-destruct that clears damaged cells; targeted by senolytic peptide research.
Educational content, not medical advice. All products supplied for research purposes only — not for human consumption.