Multiple antioxidants tend to work synergistically and far more effectively when they are taken together than when they are taken as a single antioxidant. Most antioxidant supplements you find in health stores today contain a standard ingredient base. Antioxidant supplements generally contain vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and the mineral selenium. Research show that this particular form of antioxidant dietary supplement greatly helps in boosting the immune system and thus aid in preventing the onset of degenerative diseases. Another popular form of antioxidant dietary supplement is Vitamin E. This antioxidant dietary supplement works best when taken with Vitamin C as it seems that both vitamins have synergistic effect when taken in combination. They are also loaded with healing antioxidants, which of course make them excellent antioxidant foods. There are several kinds of berries, as you well know, and each kind has a different concentration of antioxidants. In recent studies, purple berries (such as Elderberry and black currant) are considered as the richest antioxidant foods. 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. Oxidation is a vital part of life. But as vital as oxidation is, it can also have some negative effects on the body. The Top 20 list of antioxidants published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows the ranks of the capacity of berry foods, fruits, and vegetables to interfere with or prevent oxidative processes where free radicals are formed. Ronald L. Prior, a USDA nutritionist and research chemist based in Little Rock, Ark explains that berry antioxidants were ranked according to their total antioxidant capacity. Consuming lots of antioxidant fruits in your diet will help boost the body's defense against free radicals and oxidative stress (damage caused by free radicals). Oxidative stress is a process which many a scientist has linked with the development of chronic and degenerative diseases such as heart disease and cancer.