Upon learning that I had bladder cancer, I embarked on a journey that would widen my vocabulary and enhance my education.
Among the first words I learned in my quest for a cure or a prevention, was “antioxidant”. A simple definition is: against oxidation. Oxidation occurs in metals such as iron in the form of rust. Oxidation occurs in the body when foods are metabolized. The substances formed in the oxidation process in the body are called free radicals, or, “oxidants”. They’re also ingested into the body from pollution in the air and from contaminated foods and water. Free radicals are roaming about in the body trying to join themselves to something else. When they join themselves with other molecules that might be advantageous on their own, they do damage to the cells they touch….they become toxic to the body and can cause a cancerous cell to form. So, antioxidants are substances that destroy the free radicals or “oxidants”.
