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With age comes increasing and sometimes cumulative exposure to both natural and synthetic environmental toxins, from heavy metals and pesticides to tobacco smoke and radiation. Much of the damage from these 'exposures results from the generation of free radicals which can damage normal tissues if too many are produced or are not adequately controlled. The prematurely aged, wrinkled skin of smokers is caused by the free radical-induced damage that smoking engenders. In fact, smoking is probably the greatest source of voluntary exposure to free radicals.

Free radicals disrupt the normal production of DNA and RNA and alter the lipids, or fats, in cell membranes. They also damage cells lining blood vessels and interfere with the production of prostaglandins, which are derived from essential fatty acids and regulate many physiological functions. In a sense, the aging process could be viewed as one of gradual oxidation, or in physical chemistry terms - rusting.

The body produces essential antioxidant defences internally. Enzymes that control free radicals include superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, as well as other molecules such as cholesterol, steroid hormones and sulfur-containing amino acids that neutralize free radicals. It is also possible to choose many nutrients in both foods and supplements that help fight free radicals – some of the essential products are listed below.