In recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in the use of "antioxidant" nutritional supplements. Epidemiological evidence suggests that maintaining high intakes of vitamins, minerals, and certain other food constituents may help to protect against life-threatening diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Is this effect due to antioxidant properties or to something else? Can nutritional supplements hope to cure or prevent many diseases? Should we all be taking vitamin E, vitamin C, or more of certain polyunsaturated fats? This is the first book to take a critical and informed look at the merits and limitations of nutritional antioxidant supplementation in the general population. It summarizes concisely current thoughts about free radicals and antioxidants, and is intended for non-specialists in the field who require clarification about nutrition-related issues. The book is written by two leading experts in the field of free radicals in biology and medicine, and will be useful to nutritionists, physicians, medical students, nurses, and biologists, as well as to informed members of the general public interested in nutrition.