Blueberries have them, green tea is full of them, and even dark chocolate is “rich in antioxidants,” but what are they actually doing for our health? Though they've topped headlines for the past few years, researchers are discovering that antioxidant-heavy foods have become a $526 million industry that might not live up to its promises.

The American public has become used to shifting health advice. One day a food is slated to be an unstoppable force of disease prevention, the next day it may do no good. Remember fiber’s fall from grace? Antioxidants are now under similar scrutiny. While scientists are not yet knocking them off the must-consume list, they are admitting limited knowledge of the true attributes of antioxidants.

Antioxidants first fell into the spotlight for their supposedly powerful ability to combat free radicals — chemicals produced by the environment and the body that can damage cells and potentially lead to serious disease like cancer. New research is showing that it may not be the antioxidants that are controlling free radicals, but the healthy diet in which they are featured.

So where does this leave us? It will probably change tomorrow, but for now, experts say eating a well-balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables and leading a generally healthy lifestyle (light on drinking, smoking, and junk food) may do more than any supplement or antioxidant-laden superfood ever could.

[via CBS Health News]

(Photo: Oregonstate.edu)