There is talk of them everywhere.  You see it on labels in the grocery store. The television is flooded with commercials about them.  They fill the pages of nutrition magazines. What are antioxidants what do they actually do and where can they be found?

An antioxidant is not an essential nutrient like protein or carbohydrates or lipids but it is a component in food that provides a health benefit beyond basic nutrition.  Foods with this type of benefit are called functional foods.  Antioxidants delay or prevent the oxidation of foods when they are present.  Let me try to explain what this means without getting too much into the chemistry of it.  Oxidation is a process that happens in our bodies through normal metabolic processes.  When this process happens, it releases “free radicals” which are molecules which include an oxygen atom and that do not have enough electrons to be a stable molecule so they steal an electron from another molecule.  This process interferes with the structure of the affected molecule and causes it not to operate normally.  This can cause damage to a cell’s DNA and therefore cause damage to our bodies.  Free radicals can also be produced by exposure of the body to things in the environment like tobacco smoke, and radiation.  Antioxidants fight free radicals by giving them an electron before they can cause damage to a cell.

Antioxidants may help to lower the risk of some types of cancer and heart disease. Substances that contain antioxidants are Vitamins A, C and E, Beta-carotene, Lutein, Lycopene and Selenium.  Antioxidants can be found in fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries and also vegetables, nuts, grains and some meats, poultry and fish.

For more information on this topic please visit American Dietetic Association (ADA) and National Institute of Health (NIH).