But just as the body naturally produces free radicals, it also has a means to defend against its harmful effects. Antioxidant enzymes are chemical substances found in plants that act on free radicals. Antioxidant enzymes work in several ways. For one, they may reduce the energy of the free radical or give up some of their electrons for its use, thereby causing it to become stable. There are several kinds of berries, as you well know, and each kind has a different concentration of antioxidants. In recent studies, purple berries (such as Elderberry and black currant) are considered as the richest antioxidant foods. However, raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries are also good antioxidant foods that are rich in proanthocyanidins which help prevent cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants, it seems, have created quite a huge wave in the scientific community that is devoting countless journals and magazine articles about their many benefits. Antioxidants are substances that work on free radicals, or more particularly work to counteract the damaging effects of these harmful oxygen byproducts. Free radicals cause a chain reaction of "electron stealing" because the minute they start taking away electrons from other molecules, those molecules become free radicals themselves. Massive destruction ensues, leading to such disorders as Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, cancer, senility, and more. There is some research though that antioxidant fruits may be taken better if you actually include them in your diet. Fruit, vegetables, and cereals in your diet have additional benefits compared to taking antioxidant fruits supplements. Scientists point out that this might be because consuming antioxidant fruits in food may provide a combination of lesser-known but potent antioxidant substances, which may afford greater effect than that of any single nutrient or individual antioxidant supplement. "This is significant because free radicals can destroy cell membranes and damage DNA, and may be a root cause of certain types of cancer, heart disease, and even the aging process itself." The findings of this study on antioxidant red grapes may also help explain the scientific logic behind the French paradox - why the French have less risk of heart disease even when they eat the richest types of food.