The use of oxygen in the body's normal processes creates chemicals known as free radicals. These have unpaired electrons and so they try to steal them from other molecules. These attacks damage the body's cells - a process called oxidation. In much the same way that air turns a cut apple brown or rusts a nail or makes butter go rancid, so oxidation damages the cell membranes, genetic material in cells (DNA), fatty acids and other body structures.

Antioxidants (AO) come to the rescue and neutralise free radicals. Although the body produces its own antioxidants to deal with free radicals produced each day as part of normal oxidation in the cells, an overload - caused by smoking, alcohol excess, exercise excess, pollution, radiation from the sun or x-rays - may leave the body's system unable to cope. That is when you need plenty of AO in your diet.

Eating antioxidants will help your trading and many other things as well. Here is a list of my favorites:

Bueberries:

In a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, researchers have found that blueberries rank #1 in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful by-products called "free radicals" that can lead to cancer and other age-related diseases.
via bcblueberry.com

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.
via about.com

If you eat loads of tomatoes--fresh or in sauces--chances are your blood lycopene level is quite high. Take heart; there is nothing to worry about, Lycopene is yet another antioxidant found primarily in tomatoes that seems to decrease your risk for certain cancers as your blood level increases. In a review of the available research, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found tremendous consistency among 72 different studies of the inverse association of tomato consumption and cancer. In other words, the more tomatoes and tomato products an individual consumes, the lower the rate of cancer, particularly cancers of the prostate, lung, and stomach.
via Running and FitNews

Almonds contain significant stores of antioxidants (35% of the daily recommended value for vitamin E), as well as fiber, arginine--a protein that keeps arteries elastic--and phytochemicals known as plant sterols, which help lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels while maintaining beneficial HDL levels. Recently, a three-month study done at Loma Linda University and presented at the Experimental Biology 2000 conference found that when participants added just two ounces of almonds a day to their already low-saturated fat and cholesterol diet, their levels of harmful LDL cholesterol dropped even lower.
via psychologytoday.com

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables may help prevent age-related mental decline, according to a US study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Rats fed antioxidant-rich strawberries and spinach had better memories and slower declines in nerve cell functions important in movement than rats fed standard diets, according to the report.
"Our results show that these foods, particularly spinach, may be beneficial in retarding age-related central nervous system and cognitive behavioral deficits," said lead author Dr. James Joseph of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.
from Reuters 10/03/00