Food restriction reduces free radical production, which is one of the pieces of evidence for the free radical theory of aging. Whether food restriction retards human aging is not yet known. Studies on monkeys are currently in progress, but because monkeys live to 40 years of age, results won't be in for about 20 years. This indicates how difficult it is to do research in this area. Another possible way of minimizing free radical damage is to eat foods that contain nutrients that will boost antioxidant defenses.
Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, wheat germ, nuts and green leafy vegetables.
It is unlikely that natural foods will provide too much of these vitamins, but those considering supplements should be aware that large doses of vitamin C or vitamin E may not be healthy, because they may promote free radical damage. So it's important to get enough, but not too much. Other examples of antioxidant nutrients are the trace minerals - copper, zinc and selenium. These act as antioxidants because they are necessary components of specific antioxidant enzymes. Good dietary sources of copper and selenium are organ meats such as liver, seafoods, nuts and seeds.