ABSTRACT
Regions of the world where people live longer have a diet far richer in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Our metabolism fractures oxygen to form free radicals, and we can now measure them yielding a score called ORAC. Free radicals combine with sugars, fats and proteins in our bodies to form complex radical, toxic, substances called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Our bodies also make antioxidant enzymes to combat ROS, and the products of these antioxidant enzymes (e.g., hydrogen peroxide) work in tandem with plant-derived antioxidants to prevent the oxidative damage thought to underlie the risk of developing cardiovascular and related diseases.
