Abundant in vegetables, whole grains, and fruits, antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients that neutralize harmful, unstable molecules in the body called free radicals. Research shows that free radicals may be responsible for cancer, heart disease, respiratory ailments, and the aging process itself. By protecting the immune system and repairing damage inflicted by free radicals, antioxidants (also known as "free radical scavengers") may help prevent disease and early aging.

Free radicals are constantly present in the body, formed by the myriad chemical reactions that occur daily and by exposure to various factors. These include ultraviolet radiation, cigarette smoke, rancid fat, polyunsaturated fats, chronic inflammation, herbicides, and pollution. Free radicals steal nearby stable molecules' electrons to complete their own molecular structures, thus destabilizing the target molecule. This causes a lightning-fast chain reaction that produces many more free radicals, resulting in what is clinically known as oxidative stress. Many scientists believe...