Facts about Antioxidants and Vitamins

One of the most important medical advances of the last decades of the twentieth century is a new understanding of the way in which a wide range of diseases and other agencies cause damage to the human body. This is entirely new knowledge that only began to come to light in the early 1970s. As in the case of many important advances, interest in it began slowly and, at first, only a scattering of professional scientific reports on the subject appeared. But as more and more evidence accumulated form research, the literature has grown steadily, and in the last five years or so it has suddenly erupted. Today, many hundreds of papers are appearing on the matter in al the major medical journals.

The essence of all this research is that the damage to our cells and tissues that is at the root of most diseases is caused by highly active and dangerous chemical groups called free radicals. Free radicals are constantly being formed in the body as a result of basic disease processes. They are also formed following exposure to cigarette smoke, car exhaust, industrial fumes and almost all forms of radiation. The destructive effect of free radicals on tissues and organs is very serious. They play an important part role in the production of atherosclerosis the cause of coronary heart disease, strokes and gangrene the number one killer in the Western world. They are implicated in the development of cancer.  Read More