“To date, some sixty diseases have been associated with free radical damage, and each human cell receives at least 10,000 damaging hits from free radicals every day. So, by taking antioxidants we increase our immunity as they act as a scavenging system to free radicals”. Dr Chandra, WHO. Antioxidants can be taken in tablet form or in liquid form in a drink such as Pomesteen.

Antioxidants are today used as treatment for some life-threatening illnesses. I have personal experience of this. Two days before Christmas 1999 I had an attack of pancreatitis. It came right out of the blue as until then I had enjoyed 55 years of good health. I was taken into my local hospital and placed on a drip for 3 weeks, after which I was gradually weaned back onto solid food. Once I showed I could keep that down I was allowed home. Pancreatitis is usually caused by excessive alcohol or problems with the gall bladder. I don’t drink and my gall bladder was fine; so my pancreatitis was described as ‘idiopathic’, which is supposed to mean it is peculiar to me but actually means the doctors didn’t know the cause.

A month later I returned for a check-up and was told I had experienced a life-threatening illness for which there was no cure and it would probably happen again. As you can imagine I left the hospital feeling very low! But the doctor was right: it did happen again that Easter. This time I was in a different part of the country and spent 4 weeks in hospital. Once again I was told there was no preventative medication.When I got home I searched the Internet fro treatment for pancreatitis and found that the Manchester Royal Infirmary had for the past 20 years been successfully treating the illness with a combination of vitamins – antioxidants. To cut a long story short I now take a daily dose of antioxidants and I have not had any more problems. As pancreatitis is a life threatening illness, antioxidants may well have saved my life.|Those with medical knowledge may know that the usual causes of pancreatitis are excess alcohol consumption or gall stones. I have never really been a drinker and certainly have never drunk to excess, and my gall bladder is fine. My pancreatitis was diagnosed as ‘idiopathic’, which means peculiar to me. So the improvement to my health was down to the antioxidants and, I suppose, the Internet as without that I would never have found the treatment.|When I got home I searched the Internet for treatment for pancreatitis and found that for the last 20 years a hospital in Manchester was successfully treating pancreatitis with a combination of vitamins and minerals, mainly antioxidants. The quantities I take each day are above the normal dose and you should do this only if your medical adviser has prescribed this, but it works for me.[/spin]