By Kelly Streit, MS, RD, LD Antioxidants are specific vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. They help protect your body from certain health problems.
Antioxidants help protect against cancer, artery and heart disease, arthritis, and cataracts.
Beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and selenium are the antioxidants that have been studied the most. Foods high in beta-carotene include most red, dark orange, and deep yellow fruits. Oxidation is why a cut-up apple turns brown or why vegetable oil turns rancid. Oxidation is caused by free radicals. Just as in the apple and oil, oxidation in the body can lead to the onset of problems.