What are "antioxidants"?

What are "antioxidants"?

Susan Silberstein & Marilyn Joyce (Health and Nutrition Educator & Heath Counselor) gives expert video advice on: What are "antioxidants"? and more...

Antioxidants are what we call "free radical scavengers," and free radicals are unstable little molecules that are actually lacking an electron, so they seek an electron. Free radicals are like little "Pacmen" that grab onto the healthy cell membrane where there are electrons, and like a Pacman, just munch one off, so they become stabilized. Your healthy cell membrane is unstable, and it requires that electron back. What happens is the antioxidants are introduced to the body, preferably through food sources, and they will go into the free radical system and literally kill or destroy the free radicals. Thus, antioxidants free up the electrons to then be utilized again by the healthy cells, or to create a healthy cell membrane.