BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electronic personal health records (PHRs) allow patients access to their medical records, self-management tools, and new avenues of communication with their health care providers.
Antioxidants are chemicals that interact with and neutralize free radicals, thus preventing them from causing damage. Antioxidants are also known as âfree radical scavengers.â. The body makes some of the antioxidants it uses to neutralize free radicals. These antioxidants are called endogenous antioxidants. However, the body relies on external (exogenous) sources, primarily the diet, to obtain the rest of the antioxidants it needs.
Theyâre joined by glutathione, coenzyme Q10, lipoic acid, flavonoids, phenols, polyphenols, phytoestrogens, and many more. But using the term âantioxidantâ to refer to substances is misleading. It is really a chemical property, namely, the ability to act as an electron donor. Some substances that act as antioxidants in one situation may be prooxidantsâelectron grabbersâin a different chemical milieu.