Antioxidants: What Are They and How do They Work?

When I was young, my mother would tell me to eat my berries because they were high in antioxidants and, thus, were good for my body. Many of us know this fact: that antioxidants are good for our health, but why?

To understand what antioxidants do to our body, we must first define what a free radical is. In chemistry, atoms are most stable when their electrons are paired. However, there are several instances where an atom may host an unpaired electron, which are called free radicals. These atoms are highly chemically reactive and can cause oxidative stress on the body: a chain reaction of electron transfer that can really mess up a lot of functions within the body. Oxidative stress can cause damage to cells, playing a role in medical conditions such as the onset of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and heart disease.

Free radicals are produced by a variety of biological processes, which is why it is essential to mitigate their numbers. Antioxidants are molecules that are able to scavenge and neutralize these atoms by donating electrons to stabilize the free radical. Antioxidants are often "aromatic compounds," meaning they contain rings in their chemical structure, a property that prevents them from becoming free radicals when donating electrons.

In cyclic chemical compounds, the electrons are shared throughout the ring, allowing for more stability, even if an electron or two were to be removed. By introducing these cyclic antioxidant compounds into your body, you can lower the levels of oxidative stress it faces and make your body healthier.