Antioxidant vitamins don’t stress us like plants do—and don’t have their beneficial effect.     Illustration by John Hendrix .  Perhaps you steer toward “superfoods , ” fruits , nuts , and vegetables advertised as “antioxidant , ” which combat the nasty effects of oxidation in our bodies . Maybe you take vitamins to protect against “free radicals , ” destructive molecules that arise normally as our cells burn fuel for energy , but which may damage DNA and contribute to cancer , dementia , and the gradual meltdown we call aging . Warding off the diseases of aging is certainly a worthwhile pursuit . But evidence has mounted to suggest that antioxidant vitamin supplements , long assumed to improve health , are ineffectual . Fruits and vegetables are indeed healthful but not necessarily because they shield you from oxidative stress . Eating food from plants that have struggled to survive toughens us up as well . Rather than killing us , t...