Antioxidants have in recent times become a hugely popular buzzword. Everybody seems to credit antioxidants with curing many different conditions including aging and cancer.

So what exactly are these antioxidants that everybody’s talking about? How do they help strengthen or heal the human body? The theory behind the working of antioxidants is easy to understand but there is still some controversy regarding their efficacy.

The human body produces energy by metabolizing oxygen. This metabolic process forms free radicals as a natural by-product. Free radicals are individual atoms or sometimes groups of atoms that have unbalanced or unpaired electrons. These free radicals are volatile particles and they rob electrons from other molecules and cells within the body, sometimes causing cell damage that manifests itself as disease and aging.

Having free radicals present in the body is quite normal. It is when there are excessive quantities that significant harm can be done. It is well known that exposure to pollution, excessive sunlight, radiation, smoking and alcohol exaggerates the effects caused by free radicals and could lead to serious illness and/or premature aging.

Damage done by free radicals has serious consequences. Some of the negative effects of free radicals include:

* The aging process is speeded up
* Hardening of arteries (arteriosclerosis) and other cardiovascular diseases. When Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol reacts with free radicals it tends to adhere to the arterial walls. LDL is also known as bad cholesterol and is one of the major causes of Coronary Heart Disease.
* The lenses in the eyes start deteriorating leading to failing eyesight.
* The breakdown in cells that are present in the nervous system results in diseases like Dementia and Parkinson’s.
* Cell DNA undergoes changes that eventually lead to certain cancers.
* Inflammation in the joints causing arthritis.

When free radicals get mopped up by antioxidants, the impact that they have on cells gets neutralized. The foods that we eat contain varying degrees of naturally found antioxidants. Beta-carotene, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and the mineral Selenium are some oxidants that are most commonly known. Besides these, there are numerous other compounds that do the function of antioxidants. Anthocyanins and lycopene are two such compounds, which have been categorized as non-nutrient antioxidants. These non-nutrient antioxidants have little or no value nutritionally but it is their antioxidant properties that make them valuable.

Tests that have been conducted on animals have shown that there is a clear link between the use of antioxidants and a decrease in the onset of diseases. The connection between antioxidants and diseases is not so clear in humans and has not yet been fully established. However certain anecdotal evidence points to the fact that lycopene-rich tomatoes may possible reduce the incidence of prostrate cancer and flavenoid-rich green tea could lower the rate of heart disease.

The results of recently conducted clinical studies have largely been inconclusive and inconsistent. Some of the inconsistencies include:
* Chinese women and men who underwent treatment with a combination of Beta-carotene, Vitamin E and Selenium had a lower incidence of cancers including gastric cancer.
* The incidence of lung cancer was significantly increased in male Finnish smokers who were given Beta-carotene and supplements of Vitamin E appeared to have had no impact.

Some of the most unexpected foods have been found to have high levels of antioxidants. While everybody knows that blueberries are a powerhouse of antioxidants, very few people know that the humble bean could also have equally high levels of antioxidants.

New studies that are being done suggest that in the imminent future beans way well be on their way to joining the family of foods that are rich in antioxidants. Some of the other foods in this group include potatoes, spices and berries. Very advanced analyses have been done recently on foods rich in antioxidants. These show that some of the most unlikely vegetables and fruits contain the presence of high levels of disease-fighting antioxidants. Some of these foods include Russet potato, artichokes and beans.

Particularly interesting is the fact that small red beans were found by researchers to be among the top of the list in the bean category of antioxidant-rich foods. As a matter of fact, it was found that these beans had a higher level of disease fighting antioxidants as compared to cultivated as well as wild blueberries combined. Blueberries have, down the ages, been known for their rich antioxidant content and of late they have been given even more importance with so much focus on free radicals and antioxidants. However it appears that the small red bean is all set to upstage the spotlight from blueberries.

The study also focused on other foods that are rich in antioxidants. Some of these foods included nuts as well spices such as oregano, cinnamon and ground cloves. The reason why their antioxidant benefits are not so evident is that we tend to eat these foods in much smaller quantities than vegetables and fruits.

Employing updated technology, the study assessed the antioxidant level in over 100 foods including nuts, cereals, fruits, spices, breads and vegetables. The antioxidant concentration was analyzed and each food was given a ranking that was based on the percentage of antioxidant per serving size.

Amongst all the fruits that were studied blackberries, blueberries and cranberries earned the highest ranking. Artichokes, Russet potatoes and beans were top ranked amongst all the vegetables. In the nut category it was hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans that were ranked highest in antioxidant content and in the spice category it was oregano, cinnamon and ground cloves.

Researchers have however noted that the potential health benefits of antioxidant-rich foods are not always totally dependent on the antioxidant capacity of that food. The process of absorption and digestion play an equally important role in determining the health benefits of any antioxidant.

Recently antioxidant rich foods are being given credit for helping cure or at least prevent a majority of diseases that are suspected to have resulted because of the attack of the free radicals on normal, healthy cells. This destruction of free radicals by antioxidants helps stop the ‘free radical chain’ reaction and also repairs cells that are damaged. Antioxidants appear to have some link to the treatment of various ailments such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and cancer.