Supplementation with antioxidants such as vitamins C and E has been growing rapidly in the past few years as research on harmful free radicals intensifies. Free radicals are atoms, ions, or molecules with one or more unpaired electrons that bind to and destroy cellular compounds. Dietary antioxidants disarm free radicals through a number of different mechanisms. Foremost, they bind to the free electrons, 'pairing up' with them, creating an innocuous cellular compound that the body can eliminate as waste. The antioxidants in this formula also support and enhance the body's natural defense mechanisms against free radicals: the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Recent research points to the fact that a synergistic combination of antioxidants is more effective than the total effect of each antioxidant taken alone.