Supplements are the easiest of these things to add into one's life as cancer preventives. Some supplements also hold potential as cancer treatments, either directly or as adjuncts to other therapies. If one is faced with cancer right now and undergoing radiation or chemotherapy treatment, some supplements can be employed to offset the damaging side effects often experienced. Let's take a closer look at these powerful helpers, noting their potential and proven benefits, possible dangers, and their food sources. Antioxidants are a large category of nutritional and chemical substances that neutralize substances called free radicals.
Free radicals are the products of oxidative reactions in and out of the body.
They are, essentially, unstable molecules that will do anything to get stable. Its important to realize that oxidation is a normal part of life and so are free radicals. Oxidation is what enables us to get and use energy from our food and the body utilizes free radicals to detoxify harmful substances from itself, as well as to destroy invading microorganisms. Since they are so damaging, the body maintains a sophisticated antioxidant system to hold them in check. Here are the principal antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals.