Basically, an antioxidant is any compound that prevents oxidative damage in your body, typically by absorbing highly charged ions called free radicals.

Here are some of the most important, antioxidant-delivering vitamins and nutrients to look for in the herbal supplements and multivitamins you buy:

- Vitamin C: This compound is important for boosting immunity and helping your cells grow and divide. What you may not know, though, is that it is also a powerful antioxidant. Both the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) recommend consuming plenty of it each day.

- Vitamin E: Found in nuts, sunflower oil, wheat germ, spinach and other kinds of produce, vitamin E can help prevent oxidative damage, the ODS states.

- Quercetin: This is a compound that gives certain fruits and vegetables their color. It can also be found in dietary supplements.

- Selenium: This element is an antioxidant, too. Most vitamin supplements contain some selenium. 

According to research appearing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, individuals who skip the broccoli stump absorb two key compounds found in the vegetable at just one-fifth the optimal rate.

Whole broccoli florets contain myrosinase, an enzyme that helps the body break down glucosinolates, which are phytochemicals known for their ability to protect cellular health. However, the majority of the enzyme is contained in the stem of the vegetable, researchers said.

Without myrosinase, the body does not break down glucosinates into sulphoraphane or erusin, two organic substances known for their protective effects on metabolic health.

The team recommended that consumers eat the entire vegetable either lightly cooked or raw. Alternatively, individuals may take herbal supplements made from vegetables and other all-natural ingredients.

Nutrition expert Robin Gammon recently made a number of dietary recommendations as part of the Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program, of which she is manager.

First, she suggested that individuals take their spouses and children to farmer's markets on shopping day, where each family member can choose a fruit of vegetable they've never tried before. In such venues, people can find fresh seasonal produce and even ask growers for cooking tips.

Gammon also said that meal planning should be a family activity, noting that even the hastiest dinners should include all the major food groups.

She explained that the foods one chooses have consequences for the individual, the family and the community. The dietitian added that healthy eating habits can be passed from one generation to another.

"Next time you're at your local farmers market or grocery store, ask your child to pick out something new to try at home. You might be surprised at what they pick!" Gammon concluded.

A study presented at the American Dietetic Association's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo estimated that, for the amount of potassium they provide, white potatoes are at least twice as cheap as the next most cost-effective source of the mineral.

"Potatoes deserve credit for contributing to higher diet quality and increasing vegetable consumption," lead researcher Adam Drewnowsk noted. He and his team added that potassium is particularly difficulty to consume inexpensively.

Of course, one viable alternative to the potato is a regular vitamin supplement, which can deliver a full day's worth of potassium and many other important nutrients without necessarily draining your wallets.

A study published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology recently examined the contents of kava, which is an herb or pepper that has been used as a traditional medicine for centuries by people of the South Pacific.

The root of the plant, also known as Piper methysticum, is the part that some Pacific Islanders still render into beverages, which they drink during cultural rituals. The study notes that large amounts of kava extract can be unhealthy, but apparently the Islanders are all but immune to the effects of the plant.

Likewise, the authors conducted a review of 85 articles on kava and found no consensus on what it is about the plant’s biochemistry or its preparation that makes it potentially toxic.

Individuals who want safe herbal supplements may consider taking more common varieties, like saw palmetto for prostate health or Ginkgo biloba for memory.

A study published in the British Medical Journal estimated that nearly 200 million children are vitamin A-deficient globally. Its authors, a group of public health experts from Pakistan and the UK, searched through prior studies and found that vitamin supplements containing vitamin A can reduce pediatric mortality by 24 percent in developing nations.

Given the number of children who are vitamin-deficient around the world, vitamin A supplementation could save 600,000 young lives every year, the group stated.

Taking vitamin A reduces the risk of disability caused by diarrhea, the measles and other serious health conditions. Consumed at any age, vitamin A supplements may improve well-being.

The U.S. Office of Dietary Supplements notes that vitamin A contributes to good vision, healthy mucous membranes and steady cell turnover. 

The report appeared in the journal human Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In it, researchers announced that they have mapped the structure of a special organic molecule, called the CYPOR enzyme.

If inherited, a disorder called Antley-Bixler syndrome causes this enzyme to be misfolded, resulting in serious malformation of a child's head and reproductive glands. The team – which hails from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, the Medical College of Wisconsin and Charles University in Prague – commented that riboflavin (vitamin B2) appears to prevent this misfolding.

They concluded that riboflavin supplementation during pregnancy may help reduce the risk of the disorder. Besides being found in liver, almonds, wheat bran, cheese and fish, riboflavin can also be consumed in the form of vitamin supplements.

Scanning devices that emit ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NI) light may soon be used to detect defects in apples, according to a study published in the journal Sensing and Instrumentation for Food Quality and Safety.

The report stated that the technology is called a high-speed multispectral-hyperspectral line-scanner. As apples whiz by on a conveyor belt, two lamps emit UV and NI light, respectively, while two cameras capture what the light reveals about the fruit.

The NI light can reveal defects in the apples, like bruising or rotten areas, while the UV wavelengths highlight contaminating chemicals coating the fruit’s surface. The technology’s inventors said that while their system can currently analyze three to four apples per second, it may soon be able to process fruit at a much faster rate.

When one bad apple spoils the bunch, it may be helpful to consume a daily vitamin supplement to ensure quality nutrition.

It’s called bitter cumin, and it has been used for centuries as a traditional remedy for stomach aches and balanced blood sugar. Now, a study published in the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine has stated that bitter cumin contains plant phenols, which are antioxidant compounds that can promote cellular health.

Many chemical reactions in the body involve the creation of charged ions called free radicals. These ions can cause damage to genetic material or cell parts, a process that degrades cellular health and can speed the aging process.

By consuming foods that are rich in antioxidants, health-conscious individuals may be able to reduce the damage caused by oxidative stress. Besides bitter cumin, other foods that contain antioxidants include blueberries, salmon, fresh greens, nuts and fruits rich in vitamin C.