Antioxidants: What are they? What do they do? Why does that matter?

First, The Chemistry Lesson: Oxidation is one of, if not the most common chemical processes. Things like fire (turning carbon into carbon dioxide), rust (turning iron into iron oxide) and metabolism (the oxidation of sugar into CO2 and water) are all ‘oxidation’. The easiest way to stop oxidation is to keep the oxygen away: In the case of fire, smother it or, in the case of rust, paint it. In the case of metabolism, it becomes a little tougher and more complex.

Antioxidants all share an ability to ‘block’ oxygen. Most of what we think of as antioxidants in food (which we used to call preservatives, by they way) actually become the sacrificial lamb by using up the oxygen themselves.

Rancidity, staling, dull colors, ‘warmed-over’ flavor and ‘cardboard-ish’ flavor are all examples of oxidation problems in food. However, the one that is currently getting everyone all whipped up is a very specific reaction that produces free radicals as a byproduct of oxidation.

Free radicals are just ‘unpaired’ molecules (and molecules really don’t like to be unpaired) so they run around looking for something to hook onto – and they’re totally compulsive about it until they do. (It’s like teenagers in love: they can’t stand to be out-and-about not holding hands.)

Free radicals are problematic because this “need to hold hands” makes them ‘super-oxidizers’. What we think of as ‘nutritional’ antioxidants (vitamins C, A, E and others with long names, which are usually enzymes) are just compounds that do a good job of holding hands with free radicals – thereby rendering them harmless. (Much like the sense of relief I feel if that nipple-pierced freak at the mall is holding hands with someone other than my daughter.)

We worry about free radicals because their super oxidizing capability is linked with cell degeneration (aging) and other screwy cell behavior (cancer) caused by the rapid oxidation of sensitive biological molecules. This incredibly complex chemistry is, at best, only barely understood - which is the best argument I can think of for staying away from antioxidant supplements. In fact, there is a growing body of evidence that some enzyme-type antioxidant supplements (superoxide dismutases) may actually cause the problems they are claiming to prevent.

On the other hand, there is a solution: Plants do a great job of producing antioxidants that are effective against free radicals. They evolved to this for good reason: Their cells often have only one season to survive drought, pests, disease and other stresses – so they protect them by producing great antioxidants. Coincidentally, these same antioxidants also act to protect the pigments in bright, richly colored plants.

Bottom line: The most effective way to combat free radical cell damage is to consume the antioxidants obtained from eating bright, richly colored fruits and vegetables. According to the USDA, the 10 foods with the greatest antioxidant content are Red Beans, Blue/Cran/Black/Straw/Raspberries, Apples, Cherries, Plums, and Black Beans. You can be sure that other colorful plants (beets, carrots, pomegranate …) are great sources of antioxidants too!