Key points of the article
The body rarely fails suddenly. Most of the time, what we call a âproblemâ is just the final stage of a process that has been going on silently for a long time. Before there is pain, fatigue or illness, there is accumulated wear and tear. Wear and tear that you can't see, but that sets in. The most important name for this process is oxidative stress.
Understanding what it is, where it comes from and how it relates to inflammation helps us to look at health in a much more realistic way, not as a promise of quick results, but as a biological construct over time.
What is oxidative stress?
Oxidative stress is a term used to describe an imbalance. Our bodies naturally produce molecules called reactive oxygen species, often referred to as free radicals. This happens every day and is part of the normal functioning of life. Every time we breathe, every time we metabolise energy, every time we train, free radicals are produced.
The problem arises when the production of reactive oxygen species becomes excessive and constant, exceeding the body's natural ability to control the process. This is when oxidation stops being just a normal phenomenon and becomes a factor in cumulative cellular wear and tear.
âOxidative stress is rarely an event. It's almost always a context.â
Where does oxidation in the body come from?
The most important origin lies within us. Mitochondria, the structures responsible for producing energy within cells, inevitably generate oxidative by-products. The greater the metabolic demand, the greater the potential for producing these compounds.
There are also external and behavioural factors that can increase the oxidative load over time:
- Sleep deprivation and poor quality sleep
- Prolonged psychological stress
- Ultra-processed food and excess calories
- Sedentary lifestyle or poorly recovered physical activity
- Intense sun exposure and environmental pollution
- Persistent low-grade inflammation
Why does oxidative stress matter?
Because excess oxidation is not neutral. When it sets in chronically, it can affect fundamental structures within the cell:
- Cell membranes, through lipid peroxidation
- Proteins, including essential enzymes
- DNA, increasing oxidative damage
- Mitochondria, compromising energy efficiency
Important detail
The body can be losing resilience without the person feeling anything at all. Many of the processes most relevant to long-term health take place below the threshold of conscious perception.
The body doesn't always give signals
This is one of the most difficult ideas to accept. Some biological processes become evident because they hurt. Others because they bother you. Others because they are visible. But oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation often don't show clear signs for years.
Many people only begin to realise something when more concrete manifestations appear:
- Persistent tiredness with no apparent cause
- Recurrent joint pain
- Slower recovery after physical exertion
- Sensation of accelerated ageing
- More reactive and less elastic skin
- Gradual drop in physical or mental performance
What is often called âageingâ or âloss of energyâ is actually a silent accumulation of biological wear and tear.
Cellular resilience: the basis of long-term health
When we talk about health, we often talk about symptoms. But the body doesn't work by symptoms, it works by processes.
One of the most useful concepts for understanding long-term health is cellular resilienceThe ability of cells to resist oxidative wear, maintain structural integrity, protect membranes and DNA, preserve mitochondrial function and recover from metabolic and environmental aggressions.
âIn simple terms, it's the body's ability to continue to function well despite the inevitable wear and tear of life.â
The link between oxidation and inflammation
Oxidative stress and inflammation are closely linked. When there is inflammation, the immune system produces reactive oxygen species as part of its defence mechanism, which is normal and necessary. But when inflammation becomes persistent, this mechanism is no longer punctual but continuous.
At the same time, excess oxidation can amplify inflammation, creating a self-reinforcing cycle. This phenomenon is particularly relevant to the modern concept of low-grade inflammation, sometimes described as âsilent inflammationâ.
Key concept
Low-grade inflammation is not a disease, it's a biological state that accumulates. It's not a question of treating a pathology, but of understanding a context that can be modulated over time.
Why is this so common today?
Because the modern lifestyle is biologically demanding, even when it seems comfortable. The human body was not designed to live for years in an environment with constant psychological stress, irregular sleep, overstimulation, ultra-processed food, poor recovery and little natural exposure to movement and rest.
The consequence is that many people live in chronic compensation mode. And when the body compensates for too long, it pays a biological price.
Antioxidants: more balance, less excess
There is a popular idea that antioxidants are used to âeliminateâ free radicals. But biology is more subtle than that. Free radicals have important functions, including cell signalling, adaptation to exercise and immune defence.
The aim is not to eliminate oxidation. The aim is to reduce persistent excess which wears down structures and jeopardises functions. When we talk about antioxidant protection, we're talking above all about balance.
Where does astaxanthin come in here?
Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid produced by certain microalgae such as Haematococcus pluvialis, astaxanthin, in response to extreme environmental conditions. In nature, microalgae produce astaxanthin to protect themselves from UV radiation and oxidative stress in a survival mechanism.
This is precisely why astaxanthin has aroused scientific interest in the context of cell protection, especially because of its affinity with cell membranes and the way it can help reduce the impact of oxidative stress.
Why do some people feel it and others not?
Because this type of support doesn't work as a stimulant.
In some cases, people report functional benefits, such as more stable energy, better recovery, reduced joint discomfort or less reactive skin. In other cases, there is no clear feeling, and this is normal.
Many relevant effects on biology are not immediately realised. They depend on the starting point, context, time and individual sensitivity.
The absence of sensation does not mean the absence of process.
What makes sense to take away from this reading
Oxidative stress is one of the great silent mechanisms of modern biological wear and tear. It's not a concept to create fear, it's a concept to create understanding.
Because when you understand the process, your relationship with your body changes. Decisions stop being impulsive and become structural.
âUltimately, health is not a state that you achieve. It's a process that you protect.â
And much of this process takes place at a cellular level, even when there are no symptoms.
Quick glossary
- Oxidative stress
- Imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the body's antioxidant capacity.
- Free radicals
- Unstable molecules with unpaired electrons that react easily with cellular structures.
- Mitochondria
- Cellular organelle responsible for energy production (ATP) and the main source of oxidative by-products.
- Astaxanthin
- Carotenoid produced by microalgae with high affinity for cell membranes and antioxidant capacity.
- Low-grade inflammation
- Persistent and subclinical inflammatory condition, with no obvious acute signs, associated with chronic wear and tear.
Go deeper into this topic
If you want to delve deeper into this topic and better understand how different lifestyle factors influence cellular wear and tear over time, you can consult the guide âHow to protect cells in the long termâ.
How to protect cells in the long term âOr, if you prefer to continue directly, you can read on: âBecause not everything that matters is feltâ
Scientific references
- Schieber M, Chandel NS. ROS function in redox signalling and oxidative stress. Current Biology. 2014;24(10):R453-R462. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.03.034
- Therond P. Oxidative stress and damages to biomolecules (lipids, proteins, DNA). Annales Pharmaceutiques Françaises. 2006;64(6):383-389.
- Park JS, Chyun JH, Kim YK, Line LL, Chew BP. Astaxanthin decreased oxidative stress and inflammation and enhanced immune response in humans. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2010;7:18. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-7-18
- Ma B et al. Astaxanthin supplementation and oxidative stress biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Nutrition Research. 2022;99:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2021.12.003