Even in your mothers womb, you are being exposed to toxins. Mercury alone is linked to over 20 thousand pre-mature deaths per year... 10% of women are known to carry mercury concentrations high enough to cause damage to their unborn babies. When researchers tested the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborns, they found a total of 287 industrial chemicals and pollutants!! Even breast milk, a newborn's direct lifeline to it's mother and perfect nourishment for it's growing body, is now found to exceed EPA safety levels for heavy metals and other chemical contaminants. We are truly living in a polluted world. We are surrounded by toxic chemicals and pollutants in our daily lives.

In order to understand free radicals, you must understand that you are being exposed to harmful toxins every day, everywhere you go. Just think of when you go out to restaurants how much second-hand smoke you're being exposed to (unless you live where there are smoking bans or someone is using a "safer" alternative, like an e cigarette). They're in the air you breathe, the food you eat, the water you drink. They're even in your toothpaste, deoderant, makeup, dishwashing liquid, cleaning products, and much more!

When these harmful agents, or free radicals, enter you body, they wreak havoc! They begin damaging your cells, which usually eventually function poorly or die. This causes you to age; Many diseases and cancers are related to free radical damage. Free radicals are the "friction" of life.

Every living organism is exposed to free radicals. But the more toxicity you are exposed to, the more damage these free radicals have on your body or cells.

This is where antioxidants come in. Antioxidants are like "medicine" or a defense mechanism for your cells against these free radicals. They safely interact with the free radicals and basically cut off their domino effect before too much damage is caused.

Many vitamins and minerals (which are generally found in fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and some grains) have naturally occurring antioxidants. That is why the food pyramid is set up the way it is and it is recommended that you eat such a high amount of fruits and veggies. By interacting with free radicals, antioxidants help to "slow" the aging process and help to reduce your risk of disease.

But remember, I mentioned that you are exposed to toxins in the foods you eat. Meats and other processed foods are polluted with hormones and other toxins. Even most crops are sprayed with pesticides, which you later ingest when you eat the fruit or vegetable. This is why the whole "organics" thing is also beginning to become ever so popular. Because people are learning about the damaging effects these free radicals have on the body and are trying to prevent or slow down the antiaging process.

There are certain fruits and veggies that contain higher amounts of antioxidants and are a little more effective in combating free radical damage. I've even read a bit recently about how antioxidants and juicing benefits the human body. And, while you can slow down the process that these harmful chemicals and free radicals have on your body, I don't believe you can prevent it completely.

I hate to be so blunt, but let's face it - we all have to die at one point or another. But that doesn't mean that you should have a nonchalant attitude and not take care of your body. You may be trying to achieve better health by trying different fad diets. Those types of diets are exactly what they sound like - a fad and popular for the moment. They are not necessarily the best or healthiest choice and most likely need to be enhanced by taking a nutritional supplement.