Antioxidants are generally substances that counteract the normal negative effect of cell damage due to oxidation. These naturally occurring substances are found in fruits, vegetables and meats. When consumed, antioxidants are capable of bettering health and bodily well being, but how do antioxidants work for better health in the body?

The Build Up of Free Radicals

As the body ages, the cells collects free radicals which cause damage to the cell structure and genetic makeup. These free radicals, while a natural part of life, tend to build in larger amounts when outside and inside forces are lacking in axntioxidants. Activities such as smoking, strenuous exercise, x-rays, alcohol and sunlight all help in the formation of free radicals. As more and more of these free radicals build up in the human body, health tends to suffer. Now, on to the question of how do antioxidants work?

Antioxidants in Action

In examining the question, how do antioxidants work, we must understand the effects of these free radicals on the body. As the build up of free radicals gains momentum, the cell structure of the body tends to lag. This lag has been thought to cause several hardships on the body such as cancer, heart disease and memory loss. Without the helpful nature of antioxidants, the free radicals will reach levels higher than humanly healthy and, in turn, leave the health of the human body impaired.

While the definite nature of the effect of antioxidants on the body has yet to be determined, it is known that with the right amounts of natural antioxidants, the cell damage caused by these free radicals tends to lessen and eventually repair itself. The two methods that answer how do antioxidants work are termed chain-breaking and preventative.

Chain-breaking, generally speaking, is when an antioxidant breaks the chain of the free radicals. Free radicals tend to steal a small part of a cell and then multiply over and over again. Antioxidants break this chain by stepping in and stopping this reproduction process.

Antioxidants are also helpful in the preventative side of the free radical process. If the right antioxidants are introduced into the body before the chain multiplying occurs, they will be able to render the process oxygen less. This mean the chain of free radical formation will never begin.

For those who have heard about the positive effects of antioxidants and always wondered how do antioxidants work, the process is more simple than it may seem. Antioxidants stop the replication process of free radicals and help to prevent the replication process from ever beginning.