THE VALUABLE ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANTS

---

A free radical form of oxygen can cause a lot of trouble. But these can be trapped by "antioxidents". The presence of the free radical form of oxygen within a molecule can and usually will make it carcinogenic. Remember, all it takes is one such molecule to cause one of the two critical mutations in the chromosomal material that are needed to form the first cell that leads to malignancy. Members of the vitamin C group are not the only vitamins that act to prevent the formation of carcinogens within us that contain free radical oxygen. Carotenoids (or carotenes, as they are frequently called) are a large group which includes beta carotene that gets converted to Vitamin A. Carotenoid ingestion has been observed to reduce the incidence of breast cancer by 20%.(Hunter,1993) Carotenoids happen to be especially abundant in yellow, orange, or dark green colored vegetables. (e.g. carrots, cucumbers and squashes)

Vitamin E and polyphenols (found especially in green tea) are also antioxidants which trap and inactivate free radicals.(Brody, 1991) Other substances which act to prevent dangerous carcinogens, perhaps by mechanisms similar to those described above are substances known as phenolics and coumarins (found especially in parsley, carrots and celery).(Michnovicz, 1994)