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The Role of Antioxidants
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- Early research on the role of antioxidants in biology focused on their use in preventing the oxidation of unsaturated fats (causes rancidity).
- It was the identification of the vitamins A, C, and E that led to the realization of the importance of antioxidants in biochemistry of living organisms.
- The possible mechanisms of action of antioxidants were first explored when it was discovered that a substance with antioxidative activity is likely to be readily oxidized itself (without harming the cell).
- Research into how vitamin E prevents lipid peroxidation (oxidation of fats in the arteries) led to the identification of antioxidants as reducing agents that prevent these oxidative reactions.
- These antioxidants scavenge "reactive oxygen species" before they can damage cells.
- A paradox in metabolism is that while the vast majority of complex life requires oxygen for its existence, oxygen is a highly reactive molecule that damages living organisms by producing reactive oxygen species.
- Organisms contain a complex network of antioxidant metabolites and enzymes that work together to prevent oxidative damage to cellular components of the cell.
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The Road to Wellness 
