Antioxidants: Our Natural Protectors

Your body uses oxygen to make energy. But within your cells, oxygen also produces free radicals, substances that have unpaired electrons. Their need to pair their electrons drives these free radicals to steal single electrons from neighbouring molecules and, as a result, endanger our biochemical processes. In addition, various toxins steal pairs of electrons; these are called oxidants. Free radicals combined with other oxidants can pose such intense oxidative challenges that humans have an antioxidant defence system just to manage them.

Modern living creates diverse oxidative challenges for the body. Toxic environmental and food-borne pollutants, infectious agents, excessive radiation, pharmaceutical and "recreational" drugs, even emotional stress, load on top of poor lifestyle and diet to intensify our total oxidative load and deplete our antioxidant resources. Antioxidant supplements counteract free-radical damage and replenish enzyme cofactors nutritional insurance against disease and premature death.