Forget antioxidants: McGill researchers cast doubt on role of free radicals in aging

Researchers studied laboratory roundworms, not people. They changed the worms’ levels of free radicals, unstable molecules made during normal cell activity, and tracked how long the worms lived. The worms with more free radicals did not consistently age faster, and some lived longer. The findings suggest that free radicals may sometimes trigger helpful cell defenses instead of simply causing damage.

What this means for you: This does not show that antioxidant supplements are useless or harmful in people. It is reasonable not to buy them specifically to slow aging, because this study was in worms and does not directly answer what happens in humans.