One easy way to consume more antioxidants is to take a daily multivitamin/mineral with added phytonutrients that can help increase your total antioxidant capacity and ensure oxidative balance. In a 2019 clinical trial published in Nutrients, plant-centric multivitamin/mineral and phytonutrient supplementation was found to reduce reactive oxygen species and protect against DNA damage7 in healthy adults with habitually low consumption of fruits and vegetables without altering the body’s endogenous antioxidant system.

In other words, supplementing with essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients is shown to support the body’s antioxidant system and help buffer against oxidative stress (and cell damage that can lead to cancer). And what better way to get all of those powerful phytonutrients than with a high-quality daily multivitamin? In a seminal JAMA randomized controlled trial of almost 6,000 male physicians (from Harvard University’s Physician’s Health Study II), Additionally, multivitamin use was found to reduce risk of total cancer by 8%8 compared to non-use. 

(If you’re looking for a multivitamin packed with antioxidant ingredients, you can find mindbodygreen’s favorites in this roundup of best multis on the market today.)