the seed oils chapter? Free radicals are also
normal metabolic byproducts: they’re
produced when our immune system is fired up
(like when we get an infection or fight off a
cold), when we eat too much, or during
strenuous exercise.
Remember, an overabundance of free
radicals in the body can damage cells and
your DNA, and are profoundly inflammatory.
But we have a natural way of keeping our free
radicals in balance—antioxidants. These
substances both prevent free radicals from
pinballing around in the body damaging
healthy cells and, after the free radicals have
come and gone, repair the damage they’ve
done in our bodies.
However, when antioxidants perform these
duties, they sacrifice themselves in the
process (how gallant!). Therefore, even
though the body produces its own
antioxidants, we must continue to replenish
our antioxidant stores through the food we eat