The minute your body starts to process oxygen in order to produce energy is the first step to potentially developing a disease or starting the slow process of aging. It's normal and it is a part of life. Certainly, it can't be completely dispelled. It can however be controlled. Now, by "control", we don't mean controlling the process of oxidation itself, but controlling the outcome of it. The reason that free radicals are highly reactive is that they lack electrons, which cause them to be highly unstable. To achieve maximum stability, free radicals therefore steal electrons from other molecules around them and in so doing, destroy the cell membranes and weaken the cell. 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. Some antioxidant antiaging you might have heard of include: Vitamin A Vitamin B-6 Vitamin B-12 Vitamin C Vitamin E Beta carotene Folic acid Selenium All these antioxidant antiaging can be found in the food that you eat everyday. The best sources are usually fresh fruits and vegetables. If you can't obtain all the antioxidant antiaging nutrients that you need from food, your doctor may recommend using supplements to make up for any deficiencies. Plants are where we get most of our foods and our medicines, relying on them almost entirely for developing our bodies to their full potential and at the same time reducing the causes of degenerative diseases. Recently, scientists have discovered the substance responsible for many of the health benefits we've been receiving from plants. When you slice an apple and leave it on the table, you will notice that the flesh turns brown after some time. This is caused by oxidation - when the oxygen in the air reacts with the substances found in the apple. Oxidation is a natural process that occurs in the human body as well. Our cells need oxidation in order to undergo metabolism of fats and glucose so they can turn into heat and energy. This is now and it's perfectly okay to whip out your spoons, forks, and mats because today is decades in the making; today is the day you are permitted to salivate. A recent food Olympics has been conducted and out of the 100 different varieties of foods, vegetables, and nuts, 20 antioxidant rich foods came out at the top.