What if there is a way to prevent those diseases caused by harmful free radicals from developing? Yes, indeed, there is a way. Antioxidant foods are powerful substances that can neutralize free radicals before they damage your body's cells. This is the major reason why scientists are continuing to conduct studies on antioxidant foods and the benefits that the body can incur from them. The human body derives its energy from the utilization of nutrients and oxygen as fuel. But oxygen, for all its benefits and positive effects, may also carry with it some negative ripple effect. When processing oxygen in the body (a process called "oxidation), oxygen byproducts are produced. These byproducts, called free radicals, are highly reactive substances that may cause damage to cells. We've been eating them for centuries and it's only now that scientists are beginning to discover exactly what makes them healthy for the body. Antioxidants. What exactly are they? The term is familiar to us. We hear them mentioned all the time whenever there's a new scientific study being released in the American Health Journal or some such explaining how antioxidant juice from berries can aid in liver function or how antioxidant juice from red wine is the scientific reason behind the French paradox. And so, studies began to look towards other sources of antioxidants as possible antioxidant supplements. Vitamins C and E were the next contenders but again, studies showed mixed results. Although Vitamin C antioxidant supplements didn't look as though it could reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease, it didn't have any adverse effects either. Free radicals contain an odd, unpaired electron which causes them to be very unstable and react quickly with other compounds. Because it is the nature of free radicals, which is basically an atom with an unpaired electron, to achieve stability, they will try to do so by capturing the needed electron from other molecules. No problem though because you can always find antioxidant foods almost anywhere. The best way to lay an antioxidant-rich foundation that's inhospitable to toxins and free radicals is through a combination of whole foods. With antioxidant supplements still far from the high expectations of the scientific community, you can in the meantime turn to the more reliable source of these helpful compounds, which are antioxidant foods.