An antioxidant is a substance that can inhibit or slow oxidation of another substance or system.
Antioxidants can act through several mechanisms, including reacting with reactive molecules, interrupting chain reactions, or preventing oxidation-promoting processes.
Antioxidants occur naturally in the body and in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and other plant foods. They can also be added to foods, medicines, cosmetics, and industrial materials to help prevent oxidation and deterioration.
Antioxidant activity is chemically complex, and a substance’s antioxidant behavior in a laboratory does not automatically mean that taking more of it will produce a health benefit in humans.
In food packaging and materials science, antioxidants may be incorporated into polymers or other materials to slow degradation caused by oxidation.
QUICK FACT
“Antioxidant” describes a chemical property or activity, not a guarantee that a food, supplement, or product is healthy.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Free radical: A free radical is a type of reactive molecule; an antioxidant may interact with free radicals, but the two terms are not interchangeable.
- Vitamin: a nutrient required for normal physiological function; some vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, also have antioxidant activity.
- Antioxidant supplement: a product containing substances with antioxidant activity; this is not synonymous with antioxidant activity being beneficial in every circumstance.
SEE ALSO
