Free radical formation can be caused by various environmental exposures, including cigarette smoke, radiation, and surgery. This situation may lead to cancer if the body lacks the necessary antioxidants or is too overrun with free radicals.

In humans, the most common type of free radical is oxygen. When oxygen molecules become electrically charged or radicalized, it tries to steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to DNA and other molecules.

These free radicals can be neutralized by antioxidants donating their electrons to stabilize them. Antioxidants themselves possess the special quality to be able to lose its electrons without becoming free radicals themselves. Considerable laboratory evidence indicates antioxidants may slow or prevent the development of cancer.

There are currently six classes of free radicals linked to chronic illness such as cancer. They are referred to as reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ORAC scale (oxygen radical absorption capacity) was developed to measure the capacities of antioxidants against free radicals. The test is used extensively in scientific research, and is used by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging located at Tufts University Health Sciences campus in Boston.

These scientists try to determine the interrelationships of nutrition, aging, and health. They are trained in molecular biology, epidemiology, biochemistry, physiology, and nutrition. These scientists have identified several bioflavonoids from fruit juice that inhibit certain enzymes, enzymes that turn cigarette smoke, pesticides, and other procarcinogens into carcinogens.

Their research is very promising leading to the development of other modalities besides the traditional chemotherapy treatments that affect healthy as well as diseased cells.

Antioxidants are abundunt in fruits and vegetables, as well as in other foods such as grains, nuts, and select meats, poultry, and fish. The ORAC test gives the values of fruits and vegetables.

For example, the well known wild blueberry has a score of 260. The wild black raspberry has a score of 340. The acai berry from the amazon has a score of 1026 and is therefore known as a super food. The higher the score, the better to fight free radicals. Simply stated, antioxidants obtained from a healthy diet can effectively fight free radicals.

However, being that there are thousands of free radical families and that no one single antioxidant can neutralize all of them, it is of extreme importance to eat a wide variety of different, brightly colored fruits and vegetables. This is something that only 17 percent of Americans do. What percentage are you in?