Omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants have become household words. The body doesn’t make Omega 3s, so we must get them in our food supply. Fortunately, thousands of antioxidants are found in grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.
How do antioxidants help us? Oxidation causes apples to turn brown and meat left too long in the refrigerator to smell. It also causes free radicals in our body. “Free radicals” are damaged cells missing a critical molecule. They are aggressive in taking molecules from other cells and damaging—not killing—them, which sets off a chain reaction that can cause inflammation and then disease. Antioxidants can prevent some of the free radicals from forming in the first place and assist others to stop the chain reaction.