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Antioxidants
An antioxidant is a molecule that prevents the oxidation of certain substances. It accomplishes this by reducing the amount of free radicals in a material. A free radical is an unbounded oxygen atom that when in high enough numbers can cause great devastation to the cells it encounters. When the affected cells are found in humans and animals, they deteriorate to the point where dangerous side effects occur, including cancers of the liver, colon, and many other internal organs.

Antioxidants stabilize the oxidation reactions by donating electrons to the free radicals, and provide health benefits by diminishing their production and harmful oxidation. For this reason, it can be beneficial to consume antioxidant rich foods to stabilize oxidation reactions in the body and neutralize free radicals. Some naturally antioxidant rich foods include blueberries, pinto beans, strawberries, and artichokes.

Antioxidants also have been known to keep products viable for consumption for longer periods of time. Oxygen is a major factor attributed to food going bad, and with this knowledge scientists have worked ways to reduce the degradation of the foods by introducing antioxidants. In one case, peanut oil which is a known antioxidant substance, could lengthen the shelf life of refrigerated salami by 42 extra days. It accomplished this by fighting off the free radicals present in oxygen, which in turn kept the cells intact for longer. There has also been a link between antioxidants and their stabilizing effect on polyunsaturated fatty acids. The increased stability of the fatty acids in turn made them viable for longer periods of time.