Antioxidants - is a term you encounter everywhere these days. The newspapers have it, your doctor uses it, and even your health conscious friends toss it around in their conversations.

Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds found in certain foods, especially fruits and vegetables that protect you against harmful molecules called free radicals. These molecules are produced in your body during oxidation, a process associated with normal functions such as breathing or digestion.

Oxidation causes a gradual wearing down of the body, known as oxidative damage. It also increases the risk of diseases, especially those associated with aging such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes and cancer. In fact, the rate of oxidation in our bodies could be said to determine the rate at which we age.

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