During the research, the group tested the ability of the antioxidant red grapes Activin in neutralizing and inhibiting the damage caused by fee radicals in the brains and livers of mice. Afterwards, they then compared the effects of the new antioxidant red grapes compound to the more popular antioxidants - vitamins E, C, and beta-carotene. It was observed in both studies that while the meat browned during cooking more extensively than traditionally preserved products, taste was not negatively affected. For the other study, Engeseth worked with yet another colleague, Nele Gheldof, a doctoral student in the department of food science and human nutrition. Aging is caused by harmful molecules called "free radicals." This was according to Denham Harman, M.D., Ph.D., who first proposed the theory in the 1950s. Since then, scientists and researchers have sought to understand the body's oxidation process and free radicals contribute in its acceleration. Some of the basic food groups that prove to be rich sources of antioxidant vitamins are the following: Breads, cereals, pasta, and starchy vegetables (such as potatoes, yam, squash, etc.) Fruits and vegetables Fat-free milk and low-fat dairy products Lean meat, fish, and poultry Incidentally, if you pattern your diet after this basic food group, you not only ingest a high level of natural antioxidant vitamins, but you also keep fat buildup in your body. Multiple antioxidants tend to work synergistically and far more effectively when they are taken together than when they are taken as a single antioxidant. Most antioxidant supplements you find in health stores today contain a standard ingredient base. Antioxidant supplements generally contain vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and the mineral selenium. When free radicals are released, they immediately latch unto other molecules, stealing their electrons and in so doing, turning them into unstable molecules like themselves. The result is a rapid chain reaction which when left unattended can lead to various degenerative diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, memory loss, etc.