Antioxidant activity of phytochemicals

Phytochemicals in fruits, vegetables, and cereals have attracted a great deal of attention mainly concentrated on their role in preventing diseases caused as a result of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress, which releases free oxygen radicals in the body, has been implicated in a number of disorders including cardiovascular malfunction, cataracts, cancers, rheumatism, and many other autoimmune diseases besides aging.