Antioxidants can help to reduce oxidative stress in our bodies, helping to preserve cell integrity and overall health. Without a diet rich in antioxidants, we are more prone to the common chronic diseases that plague modern society.
Antioxidants are molecules that help to prevent damaging oxidation that occurs in our bodies as a result of reactive molecules called free radicals, produced in excess by pollution, radiation, fried/burnt foods, sunlight and some cellular metabolism. Damaging oxidation is called oxidative stress and is associated with illness, premature ageing and general biological stress.
Supplementing the diet with a high-quality, wide-spectrum antioxidant is considered to be one of the most important things that we can nutritionally take to maintain optimum health. In fact, Patrick Holford says in his book The Optimum Nutrition Bible that, "Since the 1980s more and more research has confirmed that many of the twentieth century's most common diseases are associated with a shortage of antioxidant nutrients, and helped by their supplementation."
