Scientists and medical research now tell us that the primary causes of disease, illness and even the effects of aging lie in the health of our cells. The human body is made up of an estimated 50 trillion cells, and each of these cells has their own DNA and must communicate with the cells around them for the body to function normally.

As cells begin to function abnormally, the large-scale result is dysfunction and disease. There are many ways a cell can show signs of being unhealthy. Its membrane loses its elasticity, thereby restricting the movement of essential nutrients into and waste products out of the cells. Its DNA can become damaged, leading to impaired replication and future generations of dysfunctional cells. Or the communication between cells is thwarted or stopped altogether because they lack a necessary enzyme to carry out that communication.

What is more important than the actions of an unhealthy cell is the understanding of why the cell became unhealthy in the first place. This understanding paves the way to making the cell healthy again, or at least preventing other cells from going down the same path.

A majority of life forms and life processes require oxygen for existence. This includes every core biological process, whether in the digestive, circulatory or nervous system. Unfortunately, the same oxygen necessary for optimal cellular function also results in a potentially negative effect called oxidation.

At its most basic, oxidation is a chemical process resulting in the loss of an electron during cellular activity. This loss results in the atom becoming unstable – and to become stable again the atom seeks out other stable atoms to steal back the electron it is missing. These atoms then in turn become unstable, and a vicious cycle is created.

Oxidants, more commonly referred to as “Free Radicals”, damage or destroy cells and can contribute to disorders and diseases ranging from cancer to heart disease.

The sources of free radicals are numerous and varied, including: pesticides, pollutions, toxins, sunlight, food, food additives, medications, drugs, smoking, alcohol and others.

One of the more dangerous aspects of free-radical damage is that its effects are not felt immediately, but accumulate over time. The resulting cumulative effects of oxidation activity on cells and their surrounding tissues results in a constant state of inflammation. Inflammation – the body’s response mechanism to infection, irritation or other injury – is now widely recognized as a type of non-specific immune response.

As such, inflammation and the resultant immune dysfunction are now considered to be key contributors to the development of diseases ranging from cancer and heart disease to diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome.

Often confused with injuries from over exertion or sporting mishaps, inflammation is a process in which the body’s own white blood cells and chemicals act to protect us from infection and any foreign substances such as bacteria and/or viruses that may be invading our internal organs.

To further complicate matters, immune dysfunction can result in the immune system being either overactive or underactive. If the immune system seems to be doing nothing to fight viruses, bacteria, and cancers it is called immunodeficient. On the other hand, autoimmunity is the opposite if immunodeficiency and is evidenced in the body seemingly attacking itself as if it is confused as to how to respond. Examples of this would be conditions such as Lupus, Rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes and certain central nervous system disorders.

In some diseases, the inflammatory process can be triggered even when there are no foreign invaders. In autoimmune diseases, the body's normally protective immune system damages its own tissues, as it erroneously recognizes self as foreign, and normal as abnormal.

See how Antioxidants work