Antioxidants are the heroes in an epic struggle against villain molecules called "free radicals." Free radicals do nothing but assault cells, turning them into molecules like themselves. This actually creates a chain reaction which could eventually lead to killer diseases such as heart disease and cancer, and even aging itself. Today's medical science has led to several wondrous discoveries about our health and the food we eat. You might be familiar with the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." And it's true because recent studies show that there are certain substances found in fresh fruits and vegetables that can be very beneficial to our health. For one, they may reduce the energy of the free radical or give up some of their electrons for its use, thereby causing it to become stable. Antioxidant enzymes may also stop the free radical from forming in the first place. In addition, they may also interrupt an oxidizing chain reaction to minimize the damage caused by free radicals. For this reason, our bodies are always in need of a constant source of antioxidants. How antioxidants work is a two-way process. First is the chain-breaking. This is where the antioxidant comes in to break the chain reaction of free radicals turning other molecules into free radicals like them. Chain-breaking is also called Stabilization. The only problem is they do not distinguish between healthy and harmful molecules so that there is a great possibility that they would also "attack" your other healthy cells, causing massive cellular damage, tissue damage, and eventually resulting in a chronic disease or disorder, such as aging. Scientists have linked free radicals to the development of degenerative diseases, causing massive cell damage that ultimately results in various disorders, such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and much, much more. By neutralizing free radicals, antioxidants actually prevent the onset of these diseases and at the same time keep the body healthy and strong.