Fuel your life with the purest vitamins
Nov 3rd 2025
Antioxidants
. . . what they are and why you probably need more of them
One of the reasons fruits and vegetables are so healthy for us is that they supply lots of antioxidant chemicals. And these days, we can all use all the extra antioxidants we can get. What exactly are antioxidants, and why do we need more of them now than ever?
To understand antioxidants, it’s first necessary to understand free radicals. A free radical is an atom or molecule with one or more unpaired electrons. Because electrons like to travel in pairs, unpaired electrons are chemically unstable. They are apt to attack the nearest stable molecule and steal an electron from it, creating a new free radical from the previously stable molecule. This process is called oxidation, and the best example of it outside the body is the formation of rust. Oxidation can initiate a chain reaction of molecules stealing electrons from each other that ends up damaging cells and body tissues, ultimately causing disease and aging. When free radicals oxidize cholesterol in arteries, it can create atherosclerosis. When free radicals react with DNA, it can lead to genetic mutations and cancer.
Antioxidants are the solution to this problem. They are able to stop the oxidative process; they neutralize free radicals by giving them one of their electrons without becoming free radicals themselves.
Many normal body functions, including metabolism, create free radicals. Under ideal circumstances, the body will have enough antioxidants to neutralize any free radicals that are created. Problems arise, however, when too many free radicals are formed, or there aren’t enough antioxidants to balance them out.
This is exactly the situation we find ourselves in today. Many features of modern life, including ozone, infections, stress, environmental pollution, radiation, heavy metals, being overweight, pesticides and many other toxins all create free radicals. Meanwhile, our diets have become more and more deficient in fresh, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. In fact, many features of our diet – like eating sugar, refined carbohydrates, processed oils and too much animal protein – are pro-inflammatory, and inflammation itself creates free radicals and oxidation.
So the need for antioxidants is up – WAY up! And the supply is down. To rectify the situation, avoid sugar, refined flour, processed oils and excessive meat intake, and get plenty of fruits and vegetables. Try to eat organic produce, because it has considerably more antioxidants than conventional, and try to get your produce as fresh as possible; the fresher it is, the more antioxidants it will offer.
But given all the free radical challenges we face today, getting antioxidants from your diet usually isn’t enough. Antioxidant supplements are needed too. Our new supplement, Age Defense Formula, targets all five types of free radicals and has an ORAC value 200 times that in a serving of broccoli and 100 times a serving of blueberries. Vitamin C is the most important water-soluble antioxidant, and vitamin E the most important fat-soluble antioxidant. It’s best to take an array of different antioxidant nutrients because they complement and synergize with each other. Vitamins A, D and K; the minerals selenium, manganese and zinc; and other nutrients like CoQ10, n-acetyl-cysteine, lipoic acid, silymarin, quercetin and curcumin are all antioxidants that offer somewhat different benefits. Green and white teas are high in antioxidants. We selected our green and white teas because they were especially high in antioxidants while being low in fluoride (a common contaminant in many teas).
Click here for a handout that gives more information on the antioxidant content of specific fruits and vegetables and on various supplements that can enhance your antioxidant defenses.
Include plenty of antioxidants in your diet and supplement program and your body will thank you with increased energy, youthfulness and general good health!