On Food and Cooking

DNA can cause that cell to multiply
uncontrollably and grow into a tumor.
Oxidative damage to the cholesterol-carrying
particles in our blood can irritate the lining of
our arteries, and initiate damage that leads to
a heart attack or stroke. The high-energy
ultraviolet rays in sunlight create free radicals
in the eye that damage proteins in the lens and
retina, and cause cataracts, macular
degeneration, and blindness.
Our bodies stave off such drastic
consequences by means of antioxidant
molecules, which react harmlessly with free
radicals before they have a chance to do any
damage to the cells’ chemical machinery. We
need a continuous and abundant supply of
antioxidants to maintain our good health. The
body does make a few important antioxidant
molecules of its own, including some
powerful enzymes. But the more help it gets,
the better it’s able to defend itself from the
constant onslaught of free radicals. And plants