(Chicago Tribune) Like every other diet program out there, Keri Glassman's antioxidant-based "O2 Diet" promises to make you thin and beautiful. And it's easy: Just eat foods that have high antioxidant levels.

Antioxidants are compounds that prevent free radicals from damaging the cells of your body. This type of damage, also called oxidative stress, can accumulate and eventually lead to the development of several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as age-related conditions, such as macular degeneration, said antioxidant researcher Diane McKay…

The bottom line: "Just because a food or beverage scores well with the ORAC test doesn't guarantee that it can cure, treat or even prevent disease," McKay said. "However, most of the foods or beverages that have been studied for their health effects are those that have high antioxidant activity - teas, wine, cocoa, etc. The data from these studies certainly suggest that incorporating these antioxidant-rich foods and beverages into our regular diet, in moderate amounts, may help improve some biomarkers of disease risk."

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