The prefix "anti" means against, in opposition to, or corrective in nature.

In order to understand antioxidants, it helps to learn what exactly these

agents oppose and correct. Within the human body, millions of
processes are occurring at all times. These processes require oxygen.
Unfortunately, that same life giving oxygen can create harmful side
effects, or oxidant substances, which cause cell damage and lead to
chronic disease.
Rxidants, commonly known as "free radicals," are also introduced
through external sources such as exposure to the sun or pollution. Rther
mediums include stress, as well as things that people put into their
bodies, such as alcoholic beverages, unhealthy foods, and cigarette
smoke. In much the same way as oxidation creates rust, causing a
breakdown on the surface of inanimate objects, oxidation inside the
body causes a breakdown of cells. Free radicals produced by this
breakdown attack healthy cells, usually DNA as well as proteins and
fats. This chain of events weakens immunological functions as well as
speeding up the aging process, and is also linked to several diseases
such as cataracts, various forms of cancer, and heart disease. Some
studies indicate possible links to arthritis and several other chronic
conditions.
A free radical, in my mind, was simply an atom which had an odd
number of electrons in its outer ring. The more complete answer is
that a "free radical" is any atom or molecule which has an "unpaired
electron" in the outer ring. An "unpaired electron" will also always
mean that there is an odd number since "pairing" of electrons goes
by 2s.

Protons have a positive electrical charge. Electrons have a negative

electrical charge. The electrons move around the central mass
made up of protons and neutrons. Neutrons have no electrical
charge. The word is related to "neutral.µ
=et's take the example of helium, where the helium atom has 2
electrons circling around the center, and its center is made up of 2
protons and 2 neutrons. If 1 of those electrons "goes away", that
electron would no longer have a mate! What we would have here is
a free radical. It does have an odd number of electrons (1) in the
outer ring (the only ring). We should note that it is very difficult to
take one electron away from helium - that is why helium is
considered so stable. Another word we need to understand in this
situation is "ion." An "ion" is an atom with some "net electrical charge"
- an atom with either a "+" charge or a "-" electrical charge.
The body requires antioxidants. They protect the cells from damage
caused by free radicals. Free radicals can lead to oxidation in your
body. This oxidation is like rust on a car. Rxidation reduces the
integrity of your cells and organs which leads to disease and aging.
Antioxidants reduces oxidation, decrease your risk of infection, heart
disease and cancer and improves your immune system. Everyone
has free radicals. They are produced naturally in the body as a
byproduct. Free radicals increase with exposure to environmental
toxins such as cigarette smoke or radiation.

Antioxidants can be found in the form of vitamins, minerals or

enzymes. You will find them in foods and |

| 

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.
Most Americans do not receive enough antioxidants, because a
diet of fast foods is not conducive to good health. Fruits, vegetables
and whole foods are the best ways sources of antioxidants. But, it
takes several servings of these each day to receive an adequate
supply of antioxidants.
Your body needs antioxidants to protect your cells from damaging
free radicals. These free radicals can cause oxidation in your body
that, similar to rust on a car, will degrade your cells and organs
leading to disease and aging. Not only do antioxidants help to
prevent oxidation, but, according to the American Dietetic
Association, they may also decrease your risk of infection, heart
disease and cancer while boosting the function of your immune
system.

We·re all affected by free radicals, as they are a natural byproduct

produced in your body. Exposure to environmental toxins like
cigarette smoke and radiation can also increase the free radicals in
your system.
Antioxidants can be vitamins, minerals or enzymes, and they exist in
foods and certain supplements. Because most Americans do not
eat healthy diets³ones that include fruits, vegetables and other
whole foods³and instead eat diets rich in processed fast foods,
many of us are seriously lacking in these health-giving compounds.
Following are a few of the most powerful antioxidants that you
should make a point to include in your diet:

ï    This compound, found in red raspberries, may be one

of the most potent cancer fighters around. It·s also a cancer
inhibitor and is anti-mutagenic. Rther studies have also shown that
ellagic acid may fight heart disease, reduce the risk of birth defects
and speed wound healing.




 | Red raspberries, pomegranate, strawberries,
blueberries and walnuts.
ë |
||: These antioxidants, which are also called
´RPCsµ for oligomeric procyanidins or ´PCRsµ for procyanidolic
oligomers, belong to the flavonoid family. They·re the compounds
that give red and blue fruits their color, and they·ve been found to
strengthen capillaries, improve vision in the dark, support the
integrity of vascular walls and prevent and reverse blood clotting in
smokers. They also may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer,
and protect against urinary tract infections.






 | Raisins, grape seed, grape skin, bilberry,
cranberry, black currant, green tea, black tea, pine bark, cocoa.
V 

|
 "Glutathione is a very interesting, very small molecule
that's found in every cell. It's the most important antioxidant
because it's within the cell,µ says Gustavo Bounous, MD, a retired
professor of surgery at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Along
with neutralizing free radicals, glutathione may boost the immune
system and help the liver remove toxins from the body.

That·s why glutathione has been called the ´master antioxidant.µ

"No other antioxidant is as important to overall health as glutathione.
It is the regulator and regenerator of immune cells and the most
valuable detoxifying agent in the human body. =ow levels are
associated with hepatic dysfunction, immune dysfunction, cardiac
disease, premature aging and death.




 | Goat·s milk, whey protein, asparagus, avocado,
parsley, broccoli
ß 
|This well-known, fat-soluble vitamin may, according to
the Mayo Clinic, protect against cancer, infertility and cataracts
and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The most popular
form of vitamin E is alpha-tocopherol, however, gamma-tocopherol
also appears to provide major benefits.

For instance, a study in the March 2005 Journal of the National

Cancer Institute found that prostate cancer risks went down
significantly with high levels of vitamin E. Specifically, men with the
highest levels of alpha-tocopherol in their blood were ï

|
less
likely to develop prostate cancer while those with the highest levels
of gamma-tocopherol were ßV

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less likely to develop the
disease.




 |: Nuts, vegetable oils, wheat germ oil, green leafy
vegetables
  

|These fat-soluble micronutrients, the most well-known
of which is beta-carotene (which can be converted into vitamin A
in the body), fight free radicals and inhibit and prevent cervical,
oral, lung, prostate, colon, endometrial and esophageal cancers.
They also:
  Prevent lipid peroxidation, which generates free radicals
  Enhance immune function
  Stimulate the release of natural killer cells, which directly attack
tumor cells
  Protect cells from DNA damage





 | Red, orange, dark green and yellow fruits and
vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, apricots, peaches, chard,
carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin and tomatoes. Eggs and spirulina are
also good sources
Anything that boosts the immune system is protective against
cancer, but antioxidants have an additional anti-carcinogenic
effect through protection against DNA damage. As much as 30% of
cancer risk has been attributed to diet, mostly to the antioxidants in
fruits and vegetables. Antioxidant supplements have much less
frequently been credited with reducing cancer risk, but studies have
been limited.

Free radical production has been shown to increase with age in

studies of insects and mammals, and the rate of increase is in
inverse proportion to the lifespan of the species . CRAN (Caloric
Restriction with Adequate Nutrition) reduces free radical production
and extends maximum lifespan.