Cancer, heart disease, sluggish immune system, and mental deterioration are just a few of the medical conditions thought to be improved with the use of anti-oxidants. We can't get very far into a discussion of anti-oxidants without discussing free radicals.
Free radicals are molecules which are believed to harm healthy body cells.
These molecules carry an unpaired electron and seek out other molecules to correct this imbalance. This means that the free radicals carry an electrical charge and need another molecule to neutralize the charge. Think of free radicals as electrically charged pinballs, careening around in your body. As they hit cells in different organs of your body, they may cause damage to the cells before they pick up an electron and become stable molecules. They like to become stable, so it is a goal of every free radical to find an electron and become electrically neutral.