Oxidation and reduction for health

Living creatures, like humans, exist between a balance of oxidation and reduction reactions called redox reactions. The process of oxidation is widespread as seen in fires, and rust. Redox reactions have a number of similarities to acid–base reactions. Like acid–base reactions, redox reactions are always a matched set. There cannot be an oxidation reac- tion without a reduction reaction happening simultaneously.

Similar to acid base reactions that involve a transfer of positive charged protons, redox reactions involve a transfer of negative charged electrons.

When molecules are ionized, there is a transfer of electrons between the atoms causing the molecule to split into positive and negative charged ions which attract each other and connect together by an ionic bond. An example is NaCl where the bond between (Na+) and (Cl-) is an ionic bond.

When molecules are oxidized, or reduced, electrons are not transferred, but rather shifted towards one of the atoms and away from the other, causing the molecule bonded together by covalent bonds to be polarized. An example is hydrogen chloride in hydrochloric acid (HCl) and water (H2O) where chlorine and oxygen oxidizes hydrogen causing these molecules to be polarized. That is why HCl is so corrosive and dissolves most materials. Plastics being polarized are a few of the materials that are not dissolved by HCL. The word “oxidize” comes from oxy- gen since molecules with oxygen show this property so well because of their high affinity for electrons. The oxygen robs molecules of their electrons.

Oxidation is the loss or pushing outward of electrons by a molecule, atom, or ion. Reduction is the gain or pulling inward of electrons by a molecule, atom, or ion. For molecules, it is the hypothetical charge that the atoms would have if the atoms would be ions connected by ionic bonds instead of just being polarized connected by covalent bonds.

Substances that have the ability to oxidize other substances or cause them to lose or push out and rob electrons are said to be oxidative or oxidizing and are known as oxidizing agents, oxidants, or oxidizers. Substances that have the ability to reduce other substances or cause them to gain or pull in electrons are said to be reductive or reducing and are known as reducing agents, reductants, reducers or antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent molecules from losing their electrons by offering their own causing molecules to regain electrons they lost.

Many oxidations involve the addition of oxygen atoms or the removal of hydrogen atoms from organic molecules. Many reductions involve the addition of hydrogens to organic molecules or the removal of oxygen organic molecules.

Functional groups can be arranged in order of their potential for oxida- tion. For example the oxidation number for alkanes is -4, for alkenes, alcohols, alkyl halides, and amines, it is -2, for alkynes, ketones, and aldehydes, it is 0, for carboxylic acids, amides, and chloroform, it is +2 and for carbon dioxide, it is +4. Most oxidations are conducted with air or oxygen. Thus when an alkane like methane (CH4) is oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as in

CH4 + 2(O2) ---> CO2 +2(H2O),

its oxidation number changes from -4 to +4. The large increase in the oxidation number is clearly shown by the high heat and bright light given off in the combustion.

Many important biological processes involve redox reactions. Biological energy is frequently stored and released by means of redox reactions.

Photosynthesis involves the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) into sugars (C₆H₁₂O₆) and the oxidation of water (H2O) into molecular oxygen (O2), as indicated by:

6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + light energy ---> C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂

The reverse reaction, cellular respiration, is the oxidation of glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) to carbon dioxide (CO2) and the reduction of oxygen (O2) to water (H2O), as indicated by:

C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂ ---> 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + heat energy

Oxidation slowly turns us from sweet babies into sour old fossils just like it turns sugars into alcohols in wines and eventually into acids in vinegars and finally into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). Oxidation, like in a fire, breaks something complex, like a life, into something simpler, like ash and earth. Non-metals tend to be oxidizing agents that oxidize other elements. The best oxidizing agent is oxygen.

Reduction, the opposite of oxidation, acts like water poured over a fire. Many met- als tend to be reducing agents that are oxidized. The best reducing agent is the simple electron.

Many enzymatic reactions are oxidation-reduction reactions in which one compound is oxidized and another compound is reduced. The ability of an organism to carry out oxidation-reduction reactions depends on the oxidation-reduction state of the environment, or its reduction potential. Redox affects the solubility of nutrients, especially metal ions.

Just as the transfer of protons, also called hydrogen ions between chemical species determines the pH of an aqueous solution, the trans- fer of electrons between chemical species determines the reduction potential or redox potential or rH of an aqueous solution.

The redox potential is a measurement that determines the amount of available electrons a substance contains. This tells you its vitality or energy potential. The rH scale used in the measurement goes from 0 to 42. Values above 28 are considered oxidizing, below 28 reducing. Water optimal for health should have an rH value of 28-24, slightly on the reducing side. Fluorinated water supplies have an rH value higher than 27. Mineral water has an rH = 30 while tap water has rH = 34.

The relationship between rH and pH is: rH = ((ORP + 200) / 30) + (2 * pH) where ORP in mV is a measure of the ratio of oxidized to reduced materials in a substance. ORP may vary between +800 mV indicating a strong oxidizing environment and -300 mV indicating a strongly reducing environment. ORP decreases with increasing pH at about 59 mV per pH unit. High ORP values indicate oxygen-rich environments with many oxidizing compounds such as iron oxides, nitrates, and sulfates that rob them of their electrical charge and of their anti-oxidant abilities to fight against free radicals. Low ORP values indicate oxygen deficient environments with reducing compounds such as iron ions and organic matter that can neutralize any excess free radicals that need to be neutralized.

Alkaline water has more "reducing" agents that give it antioxidant properties and measures low ORP. Acidic water has more oxidizing agents and measures higher ORP. The ORP of most tap water in the USA is between +150 to +600mv and thus is an oxidizing agent.

Air, food and water all have ORP values which can be measured by an ORP meter. Substances with a positive ORP are robbed of their electrical negative charge and have no antioxidant abilities and cannot assist your body in the fight against free radicals. The more negative ORP they have, the more they can neutralize any excess free radicals that need to be neutralized.