The realization that reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress play an important role in the etiology and progression of major human degenerative diseases has triggered enormous and worldwide interest in endogenous and exogenous antioxidants. Antioxidants are capable of stabilizing, or deactivating, free radicals before they attack cells. Antioxidants are absolutely critical for maintaining optimal cellular and systemic health and well-being. A biological antioxidant may be defined as __ampersandsignldquo;a substance present in low concentrations compared to an oxidizable substrate (eg., proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids) that significantly delays or inhibits oxidation of a substrate. Antioxidants may be considered as the scavengers of free radicals__ampersandsignrdquo;. To protect the cells and organ systems of the body against reactive oxygen species, humans have evolved a highly sophisticated and complex antioxidant protection system.It involves a variety of components, both endogenous and exogenous in origin, that function interactively and synergistically to neutralize free radicals.